Temple of the Dragon
by Ceres Vesta
Summary: Hermione's mind is disturbed & Draco is through with keeping his secret. Something from his past haunts him while a traitor walks among them. Harry cries & Ron's a** gets pinched. Add this to a wacky new PE professor, and Draco dancing the Macarena. D/H!
1. A New Beginning

Chapter One 

A NEW BEGINNING

            It was their final year at Hogwarts. The Dark Lord has finally been vanquished and Albus Dumbledore has finally filed for retirement. The Wizarding World was safe at last from all those who have been faithful followers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and as for those who have survived, either ran away or decided to live a peaceful life instead. 

            It was a different year now. No more fear of the unknown. At least, that's what our friends here believed so.

            "Oh my goodness, it's so good to see you!"

            "My, how tall are you anyway?"

            "I can't believe this is happening, acne all over her face,"

            "Bloody good to see you all!"

            The Sorting Ceremony was about to begin and the students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were excited as ever. Harry, Ron and Hermione, of course, couldn't be any happier. 

            "Ron! Goodness, you're probably taller than my dad by now!" Hermione exclaimed, looking up at Ron. She was no taller that Ron's shoulders, but the Weasley family trademark was always there. The same burning red hair, and freckles that suddenly seemed to make Ron's face noticeable… at least Lavender Brown thought so.

            Harry grinned, looking around the school. He looked down at Hermione. "You've grown a lot too, you know," He said, while running his fingers through his hair. Hermione beamed at him. Harry was right, she did grow a lot over the summer. She found a better way to tame her hair with Smoother's Hair Care. Curves have appeared in the right places, all of which were concealed in their school robes. "You're prettier than ever," he added sheepishly. Hermione didn't hear this, but she smiled anyway.

            Ron thought he was about to puke. "Um, well, Ron, it looks like it's just you and me this time, how are you?" he asked sarcastically to himself but couldn't help but smile. _Yeap, a lot of things have changed_, he thought. He looked at Harry while he was talking to Hermione. Gone was that lanky boy he met six years ago. Harry grew tall, but of course, he was taller. But like him, it was the hair that never changed. It was still messy, and it still hid the infamous scar. And he was still his best friend. 

            "Man, I'm so hungry!" he complained. "When is the ceremony going to start?"

            As if on cue, the whole faculty of the school appeared from a door at the side of the front table, where all of the teachers stayed. The big old oak chair, which was at the center of the table, was still empty, but there were a couple of new faces at the table as well. Professor McGonagall clanked her fork on the crystal cup and said, "May I have your attention please".

            Hermione grinned as the whole school became quiet. That was the same line she heard every year at the start of the ceremony. It wasn't that it was predictable; it's just that it sounded like home. At this moment, she suddenly felt that feeling of being watched. She frowned, and looked slowly to her left. Draco Malfoy was looking at her. From the corner of her eye, she noticed that he too, has changed. He looked taller, and better, if that was possible. She dismissed the thought from her head and turned away immediately. _Bugger, she thought._

            Professor McGonagall stood up from her chair and spoke to the students. She cleared her throat. "Good evening, everyone. As you all know, Professor Dumbledore has decided to retire at the end of the school year, last year – "

            "About time," Malfoy smirked from the Slytherin table, and a few girls giggled. 

            Professor McGonagall unfortunately didn't hear it. " – leaving us with no headmaster, yet. But I am pleased to tell you that things have worked out just fine. Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome, the new headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Aberforth Dumbledore!"

            Applause followed but the students began whispering to each other.

            "Aberforth? The one who couldn't read?"

            "Dumbledore's dumdum of a brother?"

            "Honestly, what's happened to Hogwarts?"

            "Don't worry boys, he's easy." That was Malfoy, talking to Crabbe and Goyle, who looked a lot like muggle wrestlers and monkeys, all rolled into one. Hermione heard him, and realized that both Harry and Ron heard it too. She gave them a what-does-that-mean-look. They just shrugged and listened as Aberforth was saying something.

            Harry was amazed. It was like looking at a younger Albus. Aberforth had a long golden hair, with a golden beard growing down past his throat. He wasn't wearing any hat, and the light from the bewitched ceiling, which was an unusual Smileys logo, reflected upon his hair. He didn't look stupid as he would have thought he'd look like. He looked, well, almost good-looking. 

            "And we have implemented a new rule as well, together with the Ministry of Magic. Hogwarts will be accepting students not only for first years, but also second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh as well." He held up his hand as there was a sound of complaints coming from the students. Soon they were quiet again. "As I was saying, this is because we feel that there are children who deserve to go to school and learn more. They will be sorted together with the incoming first years, so, Hagrid, if you please?"

            Harry turned around as the doors of the Great Hall opened, with Hagrid leading a bunch of nervous looking first years, as well as some older children. Harry noticed one girl who kept writing in a little parchment with her quill. The old stool was there, and Professor McGonagall held up the Sorting Hat. She called the first name and the second name, and so forth and so on. Students from each tables yelled and hollered and applauded as one by one, kids joined. 

            "Oohh… my stomach is growling…" Ron grabbed his tummy and began to massage it. 

            "Really, Ron," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Can't you be patient?" There was no new Gryffindor yet.

            "Magda Skeeter!" Prof. McGonagall called out.

            The three of them faced each other. "Skeeter?" Hermione was shocked. "Skeeter?" she was boiling inside. She couldn't forget all those mean things That Rita Skeeter woman has done during their fourth year at Hogwarts. 

            "Whoa, Hermione, calm down." Harry said. "Maybe she's not as bad as her mother."

            "Yeah. Look at Lucius and Draco." Ron helped, and paused, as both Hermione and Harry were glaring at him. He thought for a while. "Right. Never mind."

            The three of them looked up again. It was the girl who was holding the quill and the parchment. It looks like she kept them away for a while. 

            "Let's see, you will be starting…" Prof. McGonagall read from the parchment she was holding up. "Seventh year, if I'm not mistaken."

            "That's right, professor." She was smiling rather a fake smile, batting her eyelashes furiously.

            From the Gryffindor table, Hermione was putting a finger inside her mouth and was making a gagging noise. Ginny was giggling. 

            "Very well then," the professor said as she put the sorting on her head. Magda Skeeter wore glasses too big for her head, and she kept pushing it to stay there. Her hair was a messy brown hair, which was tied up in a ponytail.

            "Gryffindor!" The sorting hat bellowed. The table was yelling appreciatively, except for Hermione who looked like she was going to be sick.

            "Hello everyone! My name is Magda Skeeter. I'm Rita Skeeter's daughter. Bloody hell, I'm in Gryffindor, isn't that splendid? And, are you – goodness! Harry Potter! Are you who I think you are, Oh my god then, I heard all those stuff my mother used to write about you before. So are you and that mudblood Hermione still dating, after what she did to you with Viktor Krum? I mean, why do you like her at all? She's so – " Magda was blabbing continuously, and Dean Thomas was trying hard to listen patiently and at the same time not to scream at her. 

            Ron was smiling. "She's hilarious. Amazing the way her mouth works. I wonder, could it ever stop?"

            Hermione was making a fist while she was looking at Rita Skeeter's offspring. "She's one hell of a bitch."

            Harry was only silent. _The thought of another Rita Skeeter, inside Hogwarts. I mean, sure, there's the Creevey brothers but Magda…_ he thought. Harry fingers were closing in to form a fist. 

            "You guys," Ron started, noticing his friends' balled fists. "It's bad luck to start the year with uncontrollable rage, anger and hatred, you know?" 

            "Oh, and you must be Ron Weasley, right?" Magda Skeeter was looking up and down at him and Ron was beginning to turn into the color of his hair. "Carrot head, I'm sorry, red hair, second hand stuffs, pimples, I mean, freckles on your nose, tell me how old are those robes now? You know you could set a record, oldest robes ever – " And Magda Skeeter was babbling away. Ron was making a fist as well.

            "Hey you guys," Neville called out looking at Ron's, Hermione's and Harry's fists. "Are you playing stone-paper-scissors? Coz, I think that it won't work, all three of you, at once."  
  


            Professor Aberforth was still saying something. "And last but not the least, our new Professor for Physical Education for the seventh years, Professor Moby Lickorpuss."

            Harry looked towards the man (at least he thought was a man) who was sitting beside Professor Snape. He was wearing pink robes, with a flashy turban to match with. He looked closely and raised his eyebrows.

            "Hey, Ron, Hermione." Harry called. "Look at the new PhysEd. Professor. What's that in his eyes?"

            Hermione covered her mouth before she could laugh out loud. "Oh my God, Harry, it looks like he, or she, is wearing a mascara!"

            Ron laughed. "And that's not all. Look at Snape!" he said, pointing at him. Professor Snape was shifting uncomfortably in his chair. He was suddenly playing with the brim of his cup.

            "I think there's nothing else left to say. Right then. Dig in!" Professor Aberforth raised his hands and different foods appeared on all five tables, including the faculty table. 

            "Finally!" Ron exclaimed, grabbing the first chicken legs he could reach. 

            "Well, dig in!" Harry smiled and started eating too.

*          *          *

            "Hey, Malfoy, are you gonna eat those?" 

            Draco looked and turned around to see who was talking. It was Goyle. 

"Go ahead, Goyle. Eat up." He said. "Who knows, maybe one of it is bewitched with Instant Intelligence Potion." 

            Goyle ate them anyway. Crabbe frowned for a good three minutes before finally smiling and grunting. "Haw, haw! Good one, Malfoy!"

            Draco ignored this. He didn't have any appetite. He couldn't eat, not now when he was feeling very strange. _Did she see me looking,_ he thought. _Couldn't have_. He could feel every Slytherin girls' eyes staring, no wait, gawking at him. He looked at them and flashed a smile. His pearly white perfect teeth appeared. Soon after they were shrieking with joy. Draco looked exasperated. _Honestly, do I look _that_ good_? He thought and turned to look back at the Gryffindor table.

            Well, he does. He grew around five inches taller, and but was still bearing that brushed up look. His bleached blonde hair was shining. He had a new scar on one of his eyebrows and told everyone that it was a cut he took from brushing up against a tree using his Polaris S Type, (the newest and most expensive broomstick) even though he really got that scar while playing with his cousin Nirvana. Feisty little kid, six years old with nails two inches long. His shoulders were broader, his voice deep, and yet, he looks older than seventeen. 

            Well of course he does. Ever since his father was caught and thrown into Azkaban, he was the family man around the Malfoy Mansion. Taking care of business and everything else. Instead of hanging around with his friends during the summer, he had to supervise the building of a new bar, called Covencraft at Hogsmeade, after the sweetshop Honeydukes was torn down. 

            His thoughts were wondering as his eyes laid rest upon the brunette girl seated between Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. It was Hermione. He was looking at her as she was laughing at something that Weasley said. He watched as her eyes glimmered. _She looks so beautiful_, he said to himself. _Wait a minute. What the hell am I saying? She's a filthy mudblood. You can't possibly like her. What am I talking about, I don't like her at all!_ His mind was racing. 

            "Hey Malfoy, if you wanted to play stone-paper-scissors, those three there in Gryffindor were just playing awhile ago." He heard someone's voice, pointing at Harry, Ron and Hermione. It was Damien Bletchley, younger brother of the Slytherin seeker not long ago.

            "Fuck off, Damien," he mumbled as his fingers relaxed. He began to munch his porkchops. _Still_, he thought. 

            He looked up again as Professor Aberforth was saying something. He couldn't help but smirk. _Ooh, he'll be so easy to manipulate_, he thought to himself. He shook his head for the poor old man. He was saying something.

            "You lot go and have a nice sleep afterwards. Big day tomorrow." He smiled. His face wrinkled as lines appeared around his eyes, and lips. _He doesn't look that old, but what's with the wrinkles_, Draco thought and looked again once more at Hermione, who was licking the rest of her ice cream cone. 

Desert was almost over and the first day of school is just a few hours away. He smirked as the strawberry ice cream fell on the chest of her school robes and yelled at Harry for bumping into her. _She looks so cute when she's mad_. He kept watching as Harry said something like sorry and started to wipe off the ice cream from her chest, which made Hermione scream even louder. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She seemed to yell, and Harry was turning pink. Draco noticed veins coming out of Hermione's head. The Gryffindor table was laughing at them. Finally, Weasley took out his wand and simply said "_disapero ico creamo_!" and Hermione's school robes were good as new again.

Draco smiled to himself. Tomorrow was a big day all right.  

***

The Gryffindors and the Slytherins shared their first period together. It was a cool September morning and the sun was shining brightly above them. They were outside the castle, but still in the school grounds. Yet they weren't wearing their usual school robes. They were all dressed in jogging pants, differently this time, but with the color codes of red and gold for Gryffindor and Green and Silver for Slytherin. It was time for their Physical Education.

            "Where's Hermione?" Harry asked, looking around. "She's gonna be late, you know."

            "Nah, she'll be here." Ron replied. "Said she just had to change."

            "Girls," Harry said. "Always worrying about how they look. Honestly – "

            Suddenly boys where hooting behind them. They turned around to see what the commotion was about. Then they saw her. Hermione was jogging over to Ron and Harry, wearing nothing but a white sports bra and red jogging pants. Her hair was up in a ponytail and she was wearing sneakers. And yes boys, she had a tan. 

            Ron looked in disbelief as the boys, even from Slytherin (Malfoy's jaw was wide open) were hollering. He turned and saw that almost all of the girls were wearing the same attire. But it was different with Hermione, he guessed, but he didn't know how. And the other girls were now crossing their arms over their chest. The next thing he knew, Harry grabbed one of the towels from the stack behind everyone else and ran towards Hermione, and covered her entire body.

            "What the!" Hermione almost stumbled. "What's wrong Harry?" Harry's arms were around her tightly. She did realize, of course that this was the closest he had been with Harry. She could feel his hard chest against hers. Well, slightly, because the towel was thick and it was in the way. She inhaled deeply and all she could smell was Morning Breeze. Of course, the cologne she had given him for his seventeenth birthday.

            "Hermione!" She had never seen Harry worried like this before. At least, worried about her. "Go back inside and wear something else! Now!"

            "I'm afraid that won't be necessary, Mr. Potter. It's time for Physical Education now." A deep voice coming from what Harry thought was a woman said. "Let her change later."

            Harry turned around and saw his PhysEd. teacher, Professor Lickorpuss. He was now sporting a mid-drift tank top, and jogging pants, plus a headgear of the color yellow. He looked almost like muggles do when they exercise. Harry noticed that his belly button was hairy. He felt extremely uncomfortable.

            He wasn't the only one in the school grounds like that. A lot of the students began clearing their throats as they sat down on the soft grass beneath them. Ron was stifling a laugh. Hermione was glad that the Slytherin boys have been pretty mature about this and was trying hard not to laugh as well. 

            "Well, now, I see that you all are well-behaved," Prof. Lickorpuss began, walking around them, his hips swerving left and right. "My name is Moby Lickorpuss and I am your PhysEd. professor. This year, I will be teaching you basic to intermediate courses in how to defend yourselves from fellow wizards who happen to wish to punch you in the nose." He smiled and winked at Ron, who looked like he wanted to get out of there fast. 

            "Sort of like Defense Against the Dark Arts," Seamus Finnegan thought out loud.

            "That's correct, Mr. Finnegan," Prof. Lickorpuss said. "But this time, you will be defending yourselves against, well, yourselves. So, no time to lose now. I want Slytherin boys to work with Gryffindor girls and Gryffindor boys with Slytherin girls. Come on now, up you go!" He began pushing everybody up and Harry thought he smelled like flowers when he came near him. "Grab your partner and let's begin with the basic hand movements. Girls, you need to learn how to fight when your attacker is a boy, and boys, you need to know how to hit a girl."

            "What if someone gay attacks us then, sir?" Malfoy asked out loud. "You know, like you?" he added, softer this time. Crabbe and Goyle were laughing now. "Haw, haw, haw!" They sounded pretty much like horses, if horses can laugh.

            Prof. Lickorpuss ignored this. "Get your partners and let's start working!"

            Harry went over and asked if Pansy Parkinson could be his partner and she agreed. She kept dropping her hanky and letting Harry get it for her just so their fingers could brush each other. She was giggling uncontrollably. Ron, on the other hand, was busy trying to defend himself against Millicent Bulstrode, who was wider and a lot harder-looking this year. 

            Hermione laughed at the sight of this as Goyle came up to her and said something. 

            "Gruntgrunt, snort, gruntsnortsnort?" he seemed to say.

            Hermione looked confused. "I'm sorry, what?"

            She then heard Draco's voice behind her. "Step away from the mudblood, Goyle. She's mine."

            She turned around and saw Draco wearing a green jogging pants, which looked very expensive. His hair was still in place, shining under the bright sunlight. His white shirt was kind of tight and it was showing off some crisp and hard muscles. He looked like he had been working out. 

            "Shut up, Malfoy," she said, despite her wobbly knees. He was looking so cute. "Who said I want to be your partner?"

            Draco came up close to her and her head was tilting up to him. Wow, he was tall. His eyes seem to pierce her and she felt like she needed to faint. He smelled so dark, so, naughty. Hermione's mind was playing a trick on her.

            Draco realized this and was smirking. "Honestly Granger, you'd really want to be stuck with one of them?" He pointed at Crabbe and Goyle, who decided to be partners instead and were now just hitting each other.

            "Oi! You two over there!" Prof. Lickorpuss called out to Draco and Hermione. "Let's see some hand working!"

            Hermione inhaled deeply. "Yes, Professor," she said.

            Soon, they were copying Prof. Lickorpuss' movements. One, Two, One, Two, Punch, Jab, Jab, Punch, Jab, Duck! Hermione couldn't believe it. She was actually having fun. This is better that Quidditch, she thought.

            "So this is how it feels like, working with a mudblood," Draco said.

            "Shut the fuck up, Malfoy, if you want to preserve your precious little nose."

            "Ah, being a bitch now, aren't we? Tell me more, I just love it."

            "Oh, and you being a sick bastard just makes me all excited."

            Draco suddenly ducked Hermione's fist. "Excited isn't all you're going to feel when I'm through with you," he smirked again. 

            Ooh, why does he have to smile like that, Hermione thought. One, Two, One, Two. "Fuck you, Malfoy," was all she could say.

            "Ah, that's more I like it," He raised his eyebrow. "Right here, right now?"

            At that, Hermione ducked and used her leg to trip Malfoy, sending him lying on the ground. Some girls saw this and began hollering.

            "You go, girl!" Susan Bones yelled and almost got hit by her partner. 

            Hermione smiled at them. Then she bent down to say something to Draco. He could now see more that what was already exposed. "You see Malfoy, you're not that lucky," she said, and smiled triumphantly. 

            He lowered his voice. Hermione noticed his eyes darkening. "Oh, but I am," he growled, and did the same maneuver to her. Hermione screamed and was immediately on the ground beside him. Everything after that happened so fast. In one swift movement, Draco was on top of her just as Harry and Ron, who were on the other side of the field, were rushing towards them. Everyone was watching them.

            Hermione couldn't believe it. He was on top of her. Only the sexiest human being alive. Draco Malfoy. Even his name sounded sexy. She felt his belt hard between her legs. Wait a second. Did jogging pants have belts? Oh my God. Was that what she thought it was? Mama Mia! 

She shook her head, trying to rid herself of those cruel, cruel, then again, sort of true, (what the hell) really, really true thoughts. 

            "Meet me next week at the lake at midnight," he looked at her with soft eyes. "Please," he added. 

For a while the Draco Malfoy she used to know had disappeared and what she saw with her own eyes was a newly changed young man. 

            Suddenly Draco was pushed roughly to his feet and realized that Harry was doing this to him. Ron grabbed Hermione gently by her arm.

            "Are you okay Hermione? Are you hurt? Did he do anything to you?" Ron was searching her for any sign of bruise.

            "I'm fine, Ron, thanks," she said, still a bit dazed at what happened.

            "Are you sure?" he looked like an earnest little puppy with red hair. 

            "I'm sure Ron," Hermione said firmly, patting Ron at the back. Harry and Draco however, did not look like they were okay.

            Harry had never been so angry in all his life. Sure he's been mad at Malfoy before. Sure, he used to think that if killing wasn't a mortal sin and not to mention, a life sentence in Azkaban, he would have killed Malfoy a long time ago. But now, he wished more that ever to rid the world of one Draco Malfoy.

            I cannot believe I did that. Draco's mind was working in knots as he was yelling at Harry and vice versa. _What's wrong with me_? He remembered Hermione under him, and the feeling of completion. She looked so beautiful with her hair tied back, so he saw more of her angelic face. He didn't notice everything else around them. All that mattered was him and Hermione. And just for that split second, everything felt so right.

"What the bloody hell were you doing, lying on top of her?"

            "What the hell do you care, Potter?"

            "Malfoy, you bastard! Never lay hands on Hermione!"

            "I don't see your fuckin' name on her, Potter! And don't you bloody tell me what to do! You're not my father!"

            "Yeah, that's right, Malfoy! 'Coz you're father's as good as dead, rotting in Azkaban!"

            Draco was shocked for a mere one hundredth of a second. No one had the guts to insult his father before. He was impressed. Finally he smirked.

            "At least my parents are alive, Potter," he said at last, with a tone of victory.

            And Harry Potter lost his cool. He could have beaten Malfoy to death had it not been for the Gryffindor boys who grabbed him before he could lunge at him. Harry Potter pointed a finger at Draco Malfoy instead. 

            "Stay away from my girl," he finally said. Draco looked at him coldly.

            "Ahem," someone cleared his throat. "I beg your pardon, but you seem to be forgetting your dear old professor watching your hormones raging."

            The students all turned around. Prof. Lickorpuss was sitting on a stool and he managed to summon a bag of Powpow's Popcorn without anyone noticing. He was watching. 

            "Oh, don't mind me," Prof. Lickorpuss smiled. "Do go on."

            Everyone was frozen in his or her places. They were either too scared to see a mad gay fuming or they were just too shocked to see what had just happened. Draco Malfoy on Hermione Granger? Harry Potter's girl? Even Ron was shocked. All of them stayed put.

            "Ah, didn't think so." Prof. Lickorpuss stood up and walked towards them. "Right then. Ten points from Gryffindor and Slytherin. Potter, Malfoy? Detention."

            "What about me, professor?" Hermione asked. She was surprised at Harry's sudden outburst, but she was even surprised that Draco and Harry were fighting over her. 

            "Oh, you don't deserve detention, dearie," Prof. Lickorpuss winked at her. "It's not your fault boys are fighting over you. However, they should learn how to control your anger. You see, controlling your anger is one of the most important things in defense. Let's see, we still have time, everyone, copy this!"

            Hermione began copying down notes. She was sitting beside Ron. She couldn't talk to Harry and she certainly couldn't face Draco. At the corner of her eye, she noticed that Magda Skeeter wasn't copying at all. She was writing furiously on her parchment, fixing her glasses all the time. She could have sworn she was smiling. 

            Something's wrong with that girl, she thought. 

***

The night was quiet, and the crickets' sounds were filling the cold midnight air. The Wizarding World has never been so safe. Everyone was fast asleep in their beds, not scared of the unknown, and not waiting for the unexpected. Some might still be at Hogsmeade, having a couple of late night drinks, or just walking around the village. But this time, no one will ever watch over his back again.

At the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Mr. Filch and Mrs. Norris were walking around the school one last time, checking if every door was locked, and hoping to catch students who crept around, up to no good, as they reckon. Upstairs in the fourth floor, Aberforth Dumbledore was snoring peacefully in his canopy bed and all of the paintings that hung on the great walls in the school were in deep slumber. It was a peaceful night.

Everyone in the great castle was fast asleep. Or so they thought.

*          *          *

Hermione kept tossing and turning under the covers of her bed that night. She couldn't sleep very well. All she could think about was Draco's face looking straight back at her, so close and so, gentle. She kept thinking that it was her hormones that were making her think and feel this way about Malfoy. It's not her fault she's attracted to somebody like him. And yet, it wasn't just the face, or the body……. it was something else.

Hermione twisted around one more time. It was a chilly night and she shivered a bit under her blanket. There's this feeling that you sometimes have when you're so sure about something, something that you don't need proof anymore… Draco has changed a lot, and the only proof she needed was the look in his eyes. For that split second, she knew. It was something that didn't need any logic or books or cleverness to explain how she felt. She was feeling something towards Draco all right, and she knew what it was called, but she was still afraid to admit it to herself yet. 

But then again, there was Harry.

_My girl_. Those two words kept running through her head the whole day. Stay away from my girl. When was she ever his girl? Of course, a few years ago, she and Harry and Ron were very close friends, friends who would do anything for each other. They've been through a lot of thick and thins most friends their age would just be imagining about. 

That day, Hermione would have died hearing those words she always hoped for Harry to say. My girl. For the last six years of her life, she has been trying very hard to show Harry how she felt about him. She did everything she could to save Harry from danger, always helped him with his homework, and yet, she always thought that Harry might have only taken these as friendly gestures.

Boy, was she ever wrong. Today, she just found out that Harry Potter felt the same thing as she did. Today, she also found out that her feelings towards Draco have changed faster than she could say Hogwarts: A History. 

Hermione bit her lip as she turned around once more. _Was it possible to fall in love with Harry and Draco at the same time?_

*          *          *

Professor Lickorpuss lay with her hands behind her head, I mean, his head that night. He was filled with so much mixed emotions that he couldn't stop chuckling to himself… I'm sorry, giggling. 

He was so attracted to red heads and seeing a fine one himself on his first day of teaching at Hogwarts, it was too much. Ron Weasley, Ronald Weasley…

Professor Lickorpuss sighed. Too bad student-teacher relationships are against school policies. Oh well. Flirting around with him isn't against the rules. He did fancy another faculty member like himself though… and he was a lot better looking anyway…

*          *          *

Harry Potter was crying softly to himself that night. He didn't cry like he was ashamed of feeling tears go down his cheeks that night, or like he cried stubbornly, feeling too proud to be crying. But he wasn't crying openly either. He was just letting something that he's been keeping to himself for a long time. He was just letting everything go.

He's just been through a lot. It was so unfair. Last year, especially. Harry felt a tear crawl down his left cheek as visions of the past came flooding in his mind.

_The Death-Eaters have finally been caught by the Ministry of Magic and were each sentenced a lifetime in Azkaban. It was only Lucius Malfoy who kept his head up, even as the magical bars closed and locked in front of him, the Daily Prophet had said, "… And young Malfoy, held his head up to his father too, a sign of the Malfoy Pride." There was no news about Draco being devastated about it, nor happy and relieved. He was just, indifferent. _

_Harry was twisting and turning in the darkness as his thoughts continued._

_Harry Potter had come face to face for the last time with Voldemort that same year, after the Death-Eaters' fall. He would have died, had it not been for the real Albus Dumbledore who had come, helped, and saved his life. He remembered it so clearly. _

_Harry felt blood oozing down his head. Voldemort lifted his wand and shouted "Avada Kedavra!" and just as soon as the green light appeared, Dumbledore appeared out of nowhere and stepped in front of Harry, right in the target._

_Harry wasn't sure of what happened next. He remembered standing in awe. Dumbledore had a kind of force field around him, and it blocked Voldemort's curse. But it was draining him. Harry had never seen Dumbledore so powerful yet weak before. The next thing he heard was the thing he regretted hearing._

_"Avada Kedavra!" _

_Voldemort stumbled on the floor in front of him. He was dead. Dumbledore collapsed in Harry's arms, weak, but alive._

_"Professor!" Harry exclaimed. "Are you all right? I'll get some help. Help! Somebody, please!"_

_Dumbledore put a finger over his lips. "Shh…" he said to quiet Harry. "I've always been proud of you Harry Potter," Dumbledore had said that night. "But I always thought how much more proud I would be if I had a son just like you."_

_"Please don't talk like that professor," Harry had said, trembling._

_"I've always treated you like the son I never had,"_

_"You're like a father to me, Professor," Harry choked back tears. "So don't leave me. Please."_

_The following day after Voldemort had been killed, everyone celebrated, everyone except Hogwarts' Faculty, who knew the truth, as well as Ron, Hermione and Harry._

Albus Dumbledore didn't retire at all. He was also in Azkaban, sentenced for life, for giving one of the Unforgivable Curses to another wizard, however evil that wizard might be. But it was a special care Azkaban, one with no dementors, just like a house arrest. But Harry didn't care. They took away Dumbledore.

First his parents, then Dumbledore, and now the only girl he's ever loved.

Damn it, he thought. His tears were uncontrollable now. If the Daily Prophet could see him now, HARRY POTTER, LOVESTRUCK, DEFENSELESS AND WEAK, he imagined the Prophet would say. Why hadn't he told Hermione how he felt, when he had the chance? Why didn't he tell her that she meant the whole world to him? Why didn't he tell her that she was the only one he ever cared about, the only one he ever thought about, the only one he couldn't live without? Why didn't he tell her how much he loved her?

_I'm so tired, it's so unfair_, he thought. God damn that Malfoy. _What the hell am I supposed to do now?_

Harry cried himself to sleep that night. 

***

That same night, Draco Malfoy was lying awake in his bed. He was wearing silky green pajamas with a silver snake embroidered in the chest pocket, and his bed was black, made of genuine expensive leather. His arms were folded behind his head, his legs, crossed under the covers, and his eyes stared into nothingness. He was thinking about so many things, his head was racing so fast he swore it could explode. He was just having a very bad migraine, but his face didn't show it. Instead, his face showed a young man, smirking, like nothing was ever wrong.

            He had been thinking about lots of things. Ever since his father was locked behind the bars of Azkaban, he was burdened with the many things that his father left for him. The business, the family fortune, making sure every house-elf was punished; it was a hard task being a Malfoy. Covencraft, his new disco pub, was going to open soon and it would bring it a lot of galleons to add to the Malfoy wealth. He had a lot of ideas all stuck in his head that were never heard by his father.

            His father. Draco shook his head and smirked once more. _His father. Was that what he was to call him? A father?_ If he remembered correctly, a father was supposed to be someone who spends time with his son, who protects him and cares for him. _A father is not someone who leaves his son alone. A father is not a man who hits his wife every time. A father was supposed to love. _

            So far, Lucius had been contrary to everything he thought of as a father. _Fuck that son of a bitch. That bastard_. Draco had always despised his father. He thought of all that Malfoy Pride, Malfoy Wealth, Malfoy this and Malfoy that. These were all just plain bullshit. He hated his father being a Death-Eater. A hatred that he hid quite very well, acting as though he liked all the killings and tortures his father along with his nasty friends has done.

            His thoughts were disturbed a bit because he heard Goyle moaning and groaning in his bed, and was hearing a soft fast movement. Draco thought for a while and figured out that Goyle was probably just dreaming.

            Nevertheless, he still had to go on with the acting. He had to pretend he was as bad and as wicked as the other Malfoys have been. It's always been the way things were. While his father was in Azkaban, his mother in the intensive care unit once more at St. Mungo's Hospital, Draco had to pretend that everything was fine. He was on the verge of being crazy had it not been for someone who always gave him strength and the inspiration to go on.

            Hermione Granger. What a disgrace Draco would have been to the Malfoys if they found out that he was in love with a mudblood. Draco grinned. He has done a very good job, pretending he loathed her ever since first year started. Draco sighed. You've been in love with the same girl for a long time and only after six years did you have the courage to tell her, he thought. He remembered second year, when he told her that he was a mudblood, and he knew she had cried back then. Oh how he would give anything to take back what he said, to stop her tears from falling. Fourth year, during the Yule Ball, she had simply taken his breath away. Now, seeing her as beautiful as ever, and this being the final year, he knew he was never going to see her again. Might as well tell her now, he had thought that day. So first thing in the morning, he did. 

            Now that fast movement he heard in Goyle's bed was becoming faster and he was moaning a bit louder that the usual. Draco decided to ignore this.

            He frowned for a moment. One thing was keeping him for everything to go smoothly, though. Harry Potter, every fucking time. Damn it. When was Hermione ever his girl? For all he knew, he had taken her for granted. He had seen the way Hermione had stared at Harry when she thought Harry wasn't looking at her. But what she didn't know was that Draco was looking at her, from the other side of the Great Hall. Draco had always been looking at her. And he had seen they way Harry had treated Hermione, the way he had treated her simply like a friend. It's Potter's loss, he thought. It's his fuckin' loss.

             "Aaahh…." Came Goyle's moaning once more. 

            "Damn it, Goyle!" Draco yelled and threw himself to the other side of the room, where Goyle was supposed to be sleeping. He went over there pulled the covers up swiftly before Goyle could even react.

            "Oh, shit!" Goyle said as Draco stared in disbelief. He immediately pulled the blanket back to cover himself up to his chin. He saw Malfoy smirking, and boy did he hate that grin.

            "All right, then," Draco chuckled. "After you're done jerking off, could you please quiet down and get some sleep?"

            Goyle mumbled probably all the swear words that he knew. Draco only laughed and shook his head.

            Soon after that, everything was quiet again. Draco was feeling different now. He remembered how Hermione had looked so great this morning during their PhysEd class. She looked so sexy. He didn't mean to be on top of her, but he liked it, her soft body against his hard muscles, her full, untouched breasts… 

            "Oh, man", he thought.

            He felt it shaking, wanting desperate to go up. He looked around the room, to see if Crabbe and Goyle were both sleeping. After making sure that they were, he put one hand under the covers and decided to take matters for himself.


	2. Crybaby

Chapter 2

CRYBABY 

A/N: Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews!!! I have a warning though, this chapter contains highly Wiccan material… Don't do this at home unless you really want to invoke any spirits… seriously…;) Have fun reading now! 

***************

Hermione rubbed her eyes as she made her way to the Great Hall that fine Tuesday morning. She hadn't had much sleep the night before, but she was used to it, having slept a few hours everytime she was worried about her grades, which was usually everyday. She grinned to herself as she remembered one summer when she woke up in the middle of the night screaming. She had dreamt that she got a 95% on her Transfiguration test. Her footsteps were light on the marble floor as she turned around the corner. She could hear students laughing and talking loudly to each other while eating their breakfast. She was about to enter the Great Hall when Harry and Ron almost bumped straight into her. 

"Whoa! You guys," Hermione almost jumped. "What's the hurry?" 

Both boys looked at each other, gasping for breath. "Thank goodness we found you here, Hermione," Ron said while he put his hand on her shoulder. She only looked at it and then at Ron, and then to Harry. 

"Harry, what's going on?" she asked him. 

Don't get mesmerized in her eyes, Harry thought as Hermione looked at him, searching him for answers. He shook the thought off his head as he grabbed Hermione and started to lead her opposite the Great Hall. "Why don't we take a walk for a while? Class won't start until half an hour, right Ron?" 

"Yeah, yeah, you're right," Ron agreed, nodding his head furiously. "Let's go down the lake for a stroll, shall we?" 

Hermione looked exasperated. "Look you guys are not fooling me. Is there something you don't want me to see in the Great Hall?" 

Both Harry and Ron stared at each other again. Hermione suddenly sneaked between the two boys and ran towards the entrance to the Great Hall before they knew it. 

"Hermione!" They called after her. 

* * * 

Once she opened the massive doors, she was shocked. The whole Great Hall looked like a stock market. Students were ignoring the bacon and eggs and pancakes that lay on the table. Nobody seemed to be hungry at all. There was one part of the hall where many students seem to be huddled together. 

"I'll take one! Give me a copy!" 

"Over here! I want one too!" 

"Easy people! There are plenty of copies for everyone!" 

"Oy! Two copies over here!" 

"Hogwarts Forum! Hogwarts Forum! Get it here! Everything that's happening in our school, get it right here!" 

Hermione was still by the entrance door. She didn't have any clue as to what exactly was going on. She was surprised at herself that day for being so slow. 

"Oh my God, is this Hermione Granger? I should have been there to see it!" 

She turned around and saw that a bunch of sixth year Hufflepuffs were all staring at their copy of The Hogwarts Forum. She couldn't believe what she saw. There she was on the front page, just underneath Draco's body. They were both on the field, the background of which was Harry and Ron running towards their direction. The Headline read: _HERMIONE GRANGER: A DIRTY SKUNK! _

Hermione gasped. "Give me that!" she yelled at the boys, snatching one copy from their hands. 

"Hey -" The boys were startled too, at first, but then they saw who took the Forum from them. At this they went silent. One by one, students turned to their direction and soon, all eyes were on Hermione. 

Harry and Ron came up just in time to comfort Hermione. 

"Hermione, come on, just let it go," Ron said. 

"Yeah, just ignore it," Harry said. "Besides it's not true." 

But Hermione didn't seem to hear all this. Her heart was pounding as she read the first few lines of the article. "_As if Hurting Harry wasn't bad enough for going for Viktor Krum, this dirty skunk goes off to the filthy rich this time, as she finds herself under the body of Draco Malfoy, wanting time to stay still…" _

Her chest was becoming heavy and she was having a hard time breathing. She looked for the name of who wrote the article. Sure enough it was there, _BY: MAGDA SKEETER_. Hermione tore off the front page and threw the remaining pages of the newsletter to the floor. Her eyes darted in all directions, looking for that skinny little bitch wearing those fuckin' glasses. Her eyebrows met as she found her, right in the middle of the commotion giving off copies of the Hogwarts Forum. She took a deep breath to try and stay calm and walked towards Magda. 

"Hermione, come on!" Harry said, throwing his hands in the air as he and Ron walked forward, following their friend. "It's not worth it!" He was mad when he saw this too, but he was too much of a gentleman to stand up to a girl. 

Ron ran his finger through his hair. "Oh man, I bet she's gonna lose it," he said, shaking his head. 

Harry looked up at his friend. "Yeap, I think so too." 

Finally, Hermione was there, right in front of Magda Skeeter. Hermione was taller than her, but Magda Skeeter kept her cool, in a snobbish sort of way. She merely smirked at Hermione. 

"Hey, Granger," she said. "You want a copy too?" 

Hermione sarcastically batted her eyes at her and smiled back. "No darling, thanks. I was just wondering whatever came into your bloody head about writing lies about me? And about other people? Because, you know, it's bad." She paused for a while, eyes not leaving Magda Skeeter's huge ones. She put her hands on her hips. "If your mother did teach you what's wrong from bad." 

By this time, everyone was casually edging a bit closer, just to hear what these two girls were saying. 

Harry glanced at Ron. "Not good," he mouthed at him. 

Magda fixed her specks once more and put her hands on her hips as well. "Look, here, dahling… My mother taught me everything I need to know about good journalism, thanks very much. Besides, everything here is true." She took a step closing to Hermione. Now, they were nose to nose. "Are you accusing me of lying?" 

Over at the Slytherin table, Malfoy was seeing all this. He was wondering what Hermione was going to say next, but he was also thinking, what the hell was Potter doing there, at Hermione's back. He shook his head. If I was there at his place right now, Draco thought, I would have slapped that Skeeter girl right across the face for her. 

Crabbe laughed, his mouth still full of English muffins. "Hahaha!" He pointed at Hermione. "Looks like the mudblood's putting up a show! Hehehe…" 

Draco didn't respond in any way at this. He just sat there, watching. 

"Well duh." Hermione rolled her eyes at Magda, who was looking straight up at her. "You stay away from me, or Harry, or Ron, got that?" 

"Look, you over grown beaver, I'll write whatever I want to write, okay?" 

"Stop acting like a fly Magda, and just stay out of people's business!" 

"Fuck off, Granger!" 

"Bitch!" 

"Skunk!" 

"CATFIGHT!!!!" Somebody suddenly shouted as Hermione threw herself against Magda and they both fell on the floor. People were suddenly hollering and shouting, cheering both girls. 

"Yeah!" 

"Get her Granger!" 

"Fight dirty, Skeeter!" 

"Come on!" 

"YOU CAN DO IT!" 

People suddenly swung their faces around as they heard this terribly familiar line from a terribly familiar person. 

All eyes were on Rob Schneider, who was the only man wearing muggle clothes, amidst the school robes of Hogwarts. They didn't notice him enter the hall. Hermione and Magda froze there, with Hermione on top. Draco simply raised an eyebrow. 

"Oops," Rob smiled weakly, blushing all shades of red. "Wrong movie, I guess. Sorry." He turned his heels and left. 

All at once the girls started fighting once more. People were now chanting their names. 

Harry and Ron stared in awe as both of the girls were trying to pull each other's hair off. They were screaming at each other. Magda's glasses were broken and there was little blood dropping from Hermione's eyebrow, a gash probably from one of Magda's nails. 

Draco couldn't stand just sitting there doing nothing. Without knowing what he was doing, he stood up on his chair and stepped up the table, knocking over the platter of eggs in front of him. He jumped down and ran towards the catfight. 

"Move out of the way!" he yelled as he mad his way through the people crowding around to watch the show. 

"Hermione!" Draco yelled as he pulled her out of Magda's grasp.

"Let me go, Malfoy!" Hermione struggled to get out of his arms. She had never felt so good about this before. She felt evil about herself that time, enjoying the rush inside of her, wanting nothing than to hit and hit and hit... Usually when things were bothering her, she would just open her book, "Controlling Your Anger by: Jengga Ferthigald". This was the only time she poured out all her emotions to a human and not a book.

"Hermione, Hermione." Malfoy's voice was cold yet soothing. He was breathing down her neck and it felt warm. "Calm down." 

Harry couldn't believe himself. Malfoy came first before he could pull Hermione up. Usually, he wasn't like this. Something wrong happens, instinct kicks in, and he would do the right thing. This is what love made him: A slow moving coward. 

Magda who was still on the floor was watching all this. Draco, with his arms around Hermione. Hermione, glaring back at her, chest heaving. Harry, just looking at Draco with "his girl" and Weasley, just standing there by Harry. Emotions. She could read what people felt. She smirked. She didn't care if that goddamned Granger got her good. All that she cared about was getting to work for the new print of Hogwarts Forum. 

"WHAT IN BLUE DAFFODILLS IS GOING ON HERE?!?" 

Everybody turned to look where that voice was coming from. For a while, Harry thought Dumbledore had gotten back to Hogwarts, but instead, that 

voice came from his brother. 

"Somebody tell me what in the dark world happened here!" Aberforth Dumbledore was speechless at what he saw. Nobody had noticed him come inside the Great Hall. Food was splattered everywhere. Plates and goblets, smashed into pieces. Students who wanted to watch the catfight and who weren't fast enough to go down when Aberforth came in were still standing on their chairs. There was a banner that said "GO HERMIONE!" which Lavander Brown and Parvati Patilhad bewitched with different sparks to give support to their friend. Aberforth, having seen this banner, slowly shook his head. Everyone fell silent again. 

"And who is this Ms. Hermione?" Aberforth asked aloud, to no one in particular. At this time, all the other teachers were there, wondering what was going on. Snape was folding his arms across his chest and Lickorpuss had his hands on his perfectly curved hips. Professor McGonagall stepped forward. 

"Please, Headmaster," the professor began. " Ms. Hermione Granger is at the top of her class. Surely I wouldn't think she would be responsible for such… havoc, if you ask me. I--" 

"No, professor, it's true." Hermione suddenly piped in, moving away from the crowd that was trying to hide her. 

"Hermione - " Harry said, surprised. But she continued to speak. 

"I did all these. But I wouldn't have done this if I wasn't provoked." 

Aberforth raised his eyebrows. "And who provoked you, my dear?" 

Hermione glanced at Magda, who was simply wiping off a few egg yolks on her robe. She acted indifferent. "Magda Skeeter, sir." At this, Magda Skeeter glanced up. She laughed and fixed her glasses. "You see Headmaster, I was only giving out copies of the Hogwarts Forum. You know, the newsletter you approved of? Honestly, I didn't realize that people were so… barbaric here. " 

Hermione looked at Harry and Ron confusingly. They just shrugged. They were confused too. 

"Ah yes, I did approve of such a thing…" Aberforth suddenly remembered. "But I didn't expect this would be the reaction to this. This thing wouldn't have happened if the articles here were of good journalism." He looked down at Magda Skeeter from his round, silver glasses. Magda was suddenly fidgeting with her shoe. 

"Now, Professor McGonagall." Aberforth turned to look at Minerva. "I trust that you know what to do with your students." 

McGonagall nodded her head. "Yes, headmaster." She turned to look at Magda.       " Ms. Skeeter. Honestly, a new student at Hogwarts, off to a bad start." 

McGonagall's eyes went softer when they turned to look at her best student. "And Ms. Granger, frankly speaking, I wasn't expecting this from you. Now I won't take points off from my own house, but you two will certainly serve your detention tonight." 

Hermione looked down. Everybody heard all of this, since everyone was still watching. Both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff looked sympathetically at their direction. Over at the Slytherin table, people were only smirking at them. You'd think that smirking would be their trademark. Her thoughts suddenly faded away as Harry took her hand into his and squeezed it for support. He looked at her with those soft green eyes. They seem to be telling her that things were going to be okay. She read the meaning in his eyes. She smiled back, not letting go of his hand. 

"Now then. Seeing that everything is in perfect order," Aberforth said, destroying the perfect silence that hung in the Great Hall. "I think it would be fitting to suspend class for about two hours. Students haven't fully eaten yet, and so have the faculty, am I not right?" He grinned at himself. Students from all four houses looked at each other. Classes not starting until after two hours? Wow, pretty cool for a headmaster. 

Aberforth clasped his hands then spread them in the air, and soon there were breakfast food on the table once more. All students from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin took their seats and started eating again. 

"Phew! Glad that was over!" Ron exclaimed, sitting down to his place. 

The faculty was now making their way towards their table, and as they did so, Professor Lickorpuss gave Ron a wink. 

Ron's face was suddenly as red as his hair. Was that a wink? He thought to himself, as the hair at the back of his head stood. No way!! He shuddered at the thought. 

Harry tugged at Hermione's hand. "Come on, let's eat." 

Hermione hadn't noticed that Malfoy had taken his seat back, over to the far side of the room. She wondered what made Malfoy do what he did to her. She shook her head. No point thinking about that Granger, she said to herself as both she and Harry sat down to eat some breakfast. 

*** 

The day turned out to be perfectly fine, despite the bad start that they all had. Gryffindors had no Double Potions with Snape because of the suspended two hours. Their lessons went well, and Harry, Hermione and Ron had plenty of time to visit Hagrid at his hut, who was still taking care of dangerous and magical creatures. Over the years, Hagrid had grown a few silver linings in his hair, but nevertheless, he was still the same kindhearted giant. And he still made cakes and sweet that the trio only ate out of the fondness in their hearts for Hagrid. Meaning his food still tasted awful. But he was their friend, and they his, and that's how it will always be. 

By nightfall, the students had eaten their dinner and were now retreating to their warm and welcoming four-poster beds, in each of their own houses. Homework was light so they didn't stay up too late. Hermione was still awake of course, seated at the cozy chair with a heavy book in her hands. Although she was looking at it, it didn't mean that she was reading it. Her thoughts were far away from different incantations teenage witches should now. Her thoughts were on different things. The Hogwarts Forum. That Magda Skeeter. Harry. Malfoy. Hmmm… Malfoy… 

"Hermione?" 

Hermione glanced up from her book. Harry had changed into his pajamas, and he was wearing his scarlet robe. The fire in the fireplace was casting shadows in all the right places on her face. It seemed that his eyes were sharper in the dark. She could see its brilliance. Although his hair was still messy, it gave Harry a look that gave reasurrance to Hermione. As long as there was a faint outline of those messy hair in the dark, Hermione would always think that everything would be fine. Harry was holding a cup. 

"Thought you were still up. Brought you coffee and myself, in case you needed a companion." He grinned. 

Hermione pushed a lock of her soft brown hair behind her left ear, and smiled. "Thanks". 

She stood up and slowly walked towards him. As she did so, he marveled at the sight of her. She was wearing a pale pink nightgown, and she had on her scarlet robes as well. Although her robe was hiding her perfect body, he memorized it by heart. The lines of her collar bone, the necklace Harry and Ron had given her on her sixteenth birthday. It was a necklace with a pendant. A heart, with a picture of the three of them together. She always wore it so that it had become part of her body since then. Harry's eyes darted slowly to her breasts, soft and perfect, untouched. Her waist, how he always held it casually but never more than that. Her hips, down to her feet, which were sporting bunny slippers. He didn't realize that Hermione was already there, in front of him. 

She slowly took the cup from his hand. Doing so, their fingers touched a little and it sent an electric jolt up through both of them. She laid it on the table nearest to them, but she never took her eyes off him. She was looking at his eyes. The wood in the fireplace was softly crackling, and it brought a soft glow to Harry's face. This is the face of the boy I had always loved. Hermione ran one finger on his cheek and smiled to herself. 

At this, the boy could have fainted. He closed his eyes, wanting the feeling to remain forever. I love you, Hermione, he wanted to say so badly, but he didn't want to risk their friendship. Instead, he let his actions do the talking. He looked deep into her chocolate brown eyes, which were twinkling in the faint light. His hands cupped her face, slowly went down to her neck. 

Hermione's heart was pounding. But still, she let him touch her. Feel her. She just closed her eyes. His fingers were now moving down to where Hermione's robes were tied. No, he didn't touch her breasts. Not yet. Instead, his fingers crawled down to her sides, feeling the curves, and then, his hand rested on the knot of the robe. 

"Honestly, how do you do it?" he looked at her. 

"Do what?" Hermione stared up at Harry's green eyes. 

"Make me so crazy about you." 

Through his glasses, she could see his eyes' softness. How they protected her in some way, how it comforted her, even now, when they were so close together. 

She didn't know what to say. 

"Actually, males are always attracted to females for different reasons. In the animal kingdom, the females attract the males when they're in heat, you know to preserve the species. But humans are different. They're attracted to each other because, of their feelings. As for you going crazy, it's those nerve cells that are going to your brain which make -"

"Shh…." He put a finger on top of her lips. He smiled. "I've been trying to hide myself. All these years." 

"I thought you didn't feel the same way as I did about you," 

"At first I didn't know what it was. But when I knew it, I was afraid of our friendship" 

"Harry, look at me," Hermione gently said, running her hand through his jet black hair. "Nothing is going to ruin our friendship." 

For a while, they just looked at each other, enjoying their perfect view. You're all that matters to me, He wanted to tell her. You're everything. 

Slowly, he untied the velvet scarlet robe, and soon, he had a perfect view of Hermione's nightgown. She was still wearing her robe. He looked at her. He smiled gently and kissed her eyes. Carefully, he took off Hermione's robes, and let it drop on the floor. 

At this, Hermione's eyes slowly opened. She saw Harry looking at her, wearing nothing but her gown and panties. But she didn't mind. She only moved closer to the boy, feeling his hardness. She felt him wanting her. And she wanted him. 

But he moved leisurely, taking all the time in the world. He brushed his hands up Hermione's bare arms. He leaned down. Slowly, their lips met. Soon, there was a prickly feeling for the both of them. All their hidden emotions, all those years, all poured out in their first kiss. Hermione's lips were supple, and so were Harry's. His tongue parted Hermione's lips, and soon, his tongue was inside Hermione's mouth, memorizing every part, every corner of it. She let out a soft groan. His hand was on her waist, and the other one was moving up to her breast. Hermione didn't care. This was what she wanted. Her knees were becoming so weak. Her arms encircled Harry's strong neck. She always held onto Harry for strength. She was gently moaning as he gave soft kisses on Hermione's neck. He was massaging her breast carefully, not wanting to hurt her. He could feel her nipple become firm against the soft cloth. 

His lips found Hermione's again and they shared an ardent kiss, burning them, and Hermione found out that she could no longer stand up. Her knees gave away, and she leaned on Harry. She felt his hardness and she gasped a little. _Oh my god_, she thought to herself. 

The boy, sensing this, lay her down on the floor. He couldn't believe he was doing this. He was on top of her. All he could see was Hermione's eyes, and all that mattered was right underneath him. He leaned back to kiss her some more when suddenly there was a faint beeping sound. 

"What was that?" Hermione asked softly, breathless. 

"Never mind that," He muttered as he kissed the hollow bone between her collarbone. The beeping sounds gradually grew louder. 

"Oh no," Hermione suddenly said, her hands no longer at Harry's back. It's Professor McGonagall!" 

At this, the boy suddenly sprung to his feet, looking around. "Professor! This is not what it looks like!" He nervously said, glancing around. "Hermione, where is she?" 

Hermione giggled as she stood up. "Silly. I put an alarm on the letter Professor McGonagall gave me this afternoon." She suddenly put her robe back on. "About my detention tonight, remember? I alarmed it in case I forgot." 

He blushed. Detention. "Oh yeah. Never thought you would be so calm talking about detention." It was a shame Hermione was wrapped up in thick clothes again. 

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Is that so, Mister Potter?" She smiled back at him wickedly. 

"Go," he said as he kissed Hermione once more. "Getting a detention is unbecoming for you, Ms. Granger, but being late for one is another." 

Hermione smiled as Harry's lips touched hers once more. "You're probably right. Don't wait up for me though. You're probably tired." 

Harry stiffed a yawn, not realizing that he was sleepy. "I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow?" 

"Yeah..." 

"Well, in that case I should sleep now so tomorrow can come faster." 

"Brilliant, Holmes." She hugged him tight before leaving the Gryffindor common room. 

*** 

_She sat on the ground, her white cotton dress sprawled on the grass. It was damp, but it didn't matter. She looked around them. One two three… thirteen. Perfect everyone was here. She breathed in fresh air. The moon was full now. As it will always be after every cycle. It shone brightly above them, so big. It reminded her how big the universe is. Let alone the world. She glanced around at the people with her. All of them were wearing white. Masks, to hide their faces. They didn't know much about their world. They didn't know her world. _

_But no matter. They will find out for themselves sooner or later. _

_"High Priestess, it is time," a boy with a horned mask whispered to her. _

_"Yes. Let's get started. Give me your hand." _

_And he did as he was told, and everyone followed. So all thirteen of them formed a circle and hummed quietly, feeling the cold night air on their skin. Some of them were shivering, but they tried hard not to be afraid. _

_Well they shouldn't be, she thought. She could feel them. She could feel them shivering. _

_She stood up, and the people on either side of her closed the gap by holding hands immediately. She walked around the circle. Athame in her hand, purifying the ritual area with salt and water. She could see a glowing light in her path. She was the only one who could see it. _

_"I exorcise thee, O Spirit of salt, casting out all impurities which may lie within. Likewise do I exorcise thee, O Spirit of water, casting out all impurities which may lie within." _

_There was a gush of wind. Her hair blew into her face but she didn't mind at all. The ritual was about to be completed. Blue fire suddenly grew around the edge of the circle. Once again, only she could see it. The others were still humming, shifting slowly from left to right. _

_She continued to chant. "I conjure thee, O Circle of power, that thou beist a boundary between the world of humanity and the realms of the Mighty Ones, a guardian and a protection to preserve and contain the power we shall raise within Wherefore, do I bless and consecrate thee." _

_She now stood at the center of the circle. Both hands raised high in the air, with the Athame on her right hand. A girl with chalky white mask stood at her right. She drew a star in the air with her right hand, starting from the right, going straight to the left, down diagonally to the right, up diagonally, down, then up diagonally. _

_She opened her mouth, as if in a trance, and spoke: _

_"Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East, Powers of Air, I call upon thee! Thou who art the breezes, winds and zephyrs, and who art also mind, intellect and imagination… Grace our circle with your presence this night! I invoke thee!" _

_A girl at her back stood up and did the same thing. _

_"Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South, Powers of Fire, I call upon thee. Thou who are the fiery rays of the sun, the dancing flames of the hearthfire and the deep heat within the Earth's core, and who art also energy, will and passion. Grace our circle with your presence this night! I invoke thee!" _

_"Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West, Powers of Water, I call upon thee. Thou who art the mountain streamlets, the mighty rivers, the vast oceans. Who art also feeling, emotion and intuition. Grace our circle with your presence this night! I invoke thee!" _

_"Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North, Powers of Earth, I call upon thee. Thou who art the towering mountains, the fertile plains, and the enduring bedrock, and who also art our bodies and all things material. Grace our circle with your presence this night! I invoke thee!"_

_Lightning suddenly struck low. But she wasn't scared. Suddenly there was a green glow from the sky. Four human faces showed up to them. It was misty and foggy, but clearly you could make out the eyes, the mouth, the nose. And there were surely four faces in front of them. The eldest seemed to be wearing a cloak. His face was hidden, but his voice shook the whole earth. _

_"Ah… Phoenix." He had said. "About time." _

_She half smiled. She wasn't scared at all. She simply bowed down, and at this, the others who formed the circle did the same. They were shaking. They didn't know what exactly was happening. She smirked. Mudbloods, she thought. "Phoenix, it has been a long time. Tell me everything, while I am still here. You can amuse my little friends, oh and my younger self as well." _

_Her eyes darted on to the two figures who looked like boys. They must know my brother, she thought. Both of them were huge, and dumb-looking. But they had a look on their faces. They were serious. The other one was handsome looking, but arrogant looking as well. All three of them had a little snake on their chest. She looked back up at the hooded man. _

_"Yes, I must tell you everything," she added. "My Lord Voldemort." _

* * * 

Over at Hogwarts, at the Slytherin house, Draco Malfoy woke in the dark, his head about to burst open with unbearable pain. 

*** 

Draco couldn't stand it. His head was burning. He was having the dream again. Lately, that was all he ever dreamt about. Was someone trying to tell him something? He didn't know. He didn't have any idea. He tried to shake the dream out of his head, but that only made his head hurt even more. The girl in the dream. Her white blond hair, long. She looked so fragile, so white. Like a ghost. But she wasn't a ghost. At least, that's what he thought. She looked so familiar. He couldn't stand all this worrying. He stood up and pulled out his suitcase from under his bed. He flipped open his trunk and took out his Invisibility Cloak. He smirked. He always did fancy this. A gift from his father, for his fifteenth birthday. He was sure that he was the only one in Hogwarts who had one.

He pulled it out and put it around his body, and made sure that his feet were not exposed. He silently crept down the stairs to the Slytherin common room and out the Slytherin dormitories. The Painting which was hanging on the door was sleeping. No matter. He would only wake it up when he was to return. 

And there he was, walking along the corridors of Hogwarts in the middle of the night. He didn't care if he was going to get caught. Mostly, he didn't care whatever happened to him. His mother was in hospital, his father in prison. There was nothing he would lose. Except maybe, his family wealth. It still mattered, in a Malfoy-esque sort of way. 

Shadows lurked everywhere, he was walking slowly because sound moved faster in the night. Mrs. Norris might wake up. He didn't realize where he was going when he turned around one corner and he suddenly bumped into someone. 

"Granger!" he muttered surprisingly, still under his invisibility cloak. He was waiting for her to scream. It's not everyday a mudblood bumps into someone invisible, he thought. 

But he was wrong. She was calm. "Harry! What are you doing in your dad's cloak!" 

Draco was taken aback. Potter? How could he have an invisibility cloak? "Wrong, mudblood. It's me." 

Hermione's mouth dropped as the voice she always heard inside her head spoke to her. Very slowly Draco Malfoy appeared from nothingness. First his hair, a bit ruffled for being hidden in the cloak, but it was still sleek. Hermione wondered if Malfoy went to bed with gel on. Then his face, soft. Smooth. Flawless, except for the scar he "allegedly" got from his Polaris S Type. (Hermione had always wondered if this was true.) His green robes were glistening in the torch lights of the castle.

"Malfoy. What are you doing here, then?" she tried to ask coolly. 

Draco's gray eyes seemed to pierce her. His expression was vague. "Well, what would you do if you had an invisibility cloak?" His body didn't even move an inch. Only his eyes seemed to move as the lights played tricks on them. "I think the question would be, what are you, doing here?" 

Hermione couldn't believe the sudden change in his tone. For a while, all Hermione could think about was Draco's sudden change, from being loathsome to being actually, likeable. She remembered that day during their Phys. Ed. Class. The Draco she felt on top of her was different from the Draco she was face to face with now. 

She threw her chin up. "Helping Professor McGonagall with some stuff. Serving my detention, you know," she said, trying to read anything from Draco's eyes. "Just finished." 

She could read nothing. Draco was just staring at her. Although his eyes did not move, his vision could still see Hermione full. From her soft brown hair which had gone incredibly straight, to her cute bunny slippers. He smiled. 

"Stop smirking at me, Malfoy." 

"I wasn't smirking at you, Granger." _Honestly. Don't people know by now that the closest I can get to smiling is by smirking_? Draco thought. 

"Then what the hell are you doing?" 

"I'm not doing anything." He took a step closer to Hermione. 

Hermione didn't move. She couldn't take it. She wanted to ask him so many questions. 

"Why?" 

"Why?" Draco echoed. 

"Why are you being mean to me?" 

Draco's eyes were still not showing any emotions. "Because you mean everything to me." 

"Liar! You called me a mudblood." 

"I was protecting my reputation. My family." 

"The hell with your reputation." 

"Hermione, I've liked you since first year. You just don't know how much." 

"You stay away from me!" 

"I can't!" 

"Why not?!" 

"Because I need you!" 

At this, Hermione slapped him right across the face. Draco responded by pushing her against the wall and putting his mouth onto hers. 

It was breath taking. Draco's lips were cold and they were sending shivers up her spine. He stuck his tongue down at her, sucking her tongue out as well. He was touching her everywhere. His hands ran fervently down to her hips and cupped her butt. It was overwhelming, they had to let go of each other. 

"Hermione.." Draco growled low. He was hot inside. He wanted her. He wanted her all these years. 

"Draco…" She was breathless. She didn't know what she was doing. Harry was nowhere inside her head right now. "We musn't…" 

"Don't talk." Draco immediately took her hand and ran as fast as his feet could carry him, leading her to a room where there could only be the two of them. The two of them. No Potters, no Weasleys. Just him. And her. 

They were running. Feeling like they needed each other now. There was no other time. Draco opened the door of a room hastily. 

"The trophy room?" He heard Hermione. He didn't answer. No time for that. No time for anything. You. Me. Now. That was all in his head. 

"Draco I don't think - " 

He cut off Hermione's sentence as he pushed her to the wall again. She didn't feel the pain. She felt nothing except Draco's body against her. He took off her robes. She was wearing a pale pink nightgown. He kissed Hermione in the mouth, his tongue violently exploring the depths of her mouth. He was squeezing her breast with his strong fingers, and Hermione gasped. She ran her fingers through Draco's hair, which were now falling into his eyes. She felt herself take Draco's school robes off himself. He was wearing silky green pajamas. Both their clothes were barely there, because of the soft thin material. 

Draco's mouth was sucking Hermione's neck by this time. He was making soft growling noises under his breath. He ran his hand up Hermione's smooth thigh. He could feel her shaking. His fingers stopped at something. Her panties. Didn't matter. He sneaked two of his fingers inside and suddenly forced themselves inside Hermione. She threw her head back and screamed but immediately bit her lip. Her fingers dug deep into Draco's back.

"Draco, we have to be quiet!" Hermione breasts was rising and falling fast. She was sweating like crazy. 

"I can be quiet…" Draco said as he pushed his fingers even deeper. "Can you?" His dark gray eyes were looking straight at her own, sending her the fire inside him. 

Hermione could only hold her head back. Her mouth opened and she screamed silently. Stop, she thought to herself. The pain was almost unbearable, but she knew she wanted more. He smelled so much like honeysuckle. Like daisies and comfrey in mountain spring water. 

Suddenly there was a ripping sound. RRIIIIPPP!!! 

"Draco! My gown!" 

A thin smile formed in Draco's lips. He found it irritating to see any clothes at this time. He ripped off Hermione's nightgown, and now she was looking at him with her bare chest. Her nipples were awakened by the cold night air and the hotness inside of her. 

"Come here." Draco held out his hand which Hermione took. 

It was going to be a long night. 

*** 

"I don't know, Mr. Malfoy," Aberforth said. 

"Oh come on, Professor!" Draco threw his arms in the air and turned around Aberforth's desk. Dumbledore's office hadn't changed much. Peculiar things were still there, including his weird ensemble of a telescope and books of different shapes and sizes. Fawkes was there too, his beautiful crimson feathers glistening, perched above a big wooden globe. 

"Look." Draco took a deep breath and forced a smile. Aberforth backed away a little bit. It was always kind of eerie to see a Malfoy smile. Usually their faces looked better when they looked apathetic. "Students in their third year and up are allowed to go to Hogsmeade, right? Covencraft is in Hogsmeade. Nothing will happen. Besides, this is great publicity to the school too. When other people see students how well behaved they are, they'll say "Ah! That's how they teach it at Hogwarts!" There will be more students wanting to study here. Think about it." 

Aberforth stroked his golden beard as Draco was looking at him, drumming his fingers on his table. He looked at him. 

"Are you sure everyone will have a great time?" he finally looked at him. 

Draco smirked. "Everyone will have a blast."

Aberforth shrugged and smiled at the tall, fair-haired boy. "Why not?" 

"Oh great Professor!" Draco exclaimed. "You won't regret this!" 

"Very well then. Off you go." 

* * * 

"Hermione!" 

Hermione blinked as the real world was coming back to her. The voices in the Great Hall, her friends practically screaming at her. 

"Huh?" was all she could say.

"I said, aren't you going to eat your chicken?" Ron was shaking his head. "Honestly. You haven't been yourself lately." He said, mouth full of chicken.

"Oh Ron," Hermione said, her mind still hazy. "Go on, have my chicken. I'm not hungry anyway." She drifted back to daydreaming as Ron and Harry proceeded to talk about Quidditch. 

Yes. Maybe she hasn't been herself lately. She hasn't realized that the week was already over. During her Arithmancy class, Professor Vector had to call her twice before she could answer the difference between a Heart number and a Character number. Of course, Heart number was for vowels and Character number was for consonants. Duh. She knew that. In Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall was right in front of her face and still didn't seem to notice her. 

Hermione sighed as she placed her cheek upon her hand. Tonight was the night. She was going to go down the lake and set things straight. She was going to tell Draco to leave her alone. What happened at the common room was a mistake and that they should just forget about it. Yes that's right Hermione. Lie to yourself. She slowly glanced at the Slytherin table, at the far side of the Great Hall. That's who's tattooed on my mind, she thought. He was looking straight at her. No emotions. You couldn't read what he was thinking about, right now, as Draco was looking at her. Nothing. His gray eyes stood out amidst the crowd in the Hall. 

She was drained into it. 

She turned her head around and suddenly got fascinated in the woodcarvings of the Gryffindor table. 

Harry bit his lip. What could she be thinking about? He thought as Ron's mouth continued to move, something about Wimbourne Wasps making a comeback in the near future. Hermione's hair covered her face a bit, but he could still make out her enticing eyes, and her long lashes. She was biting her lip too. That's what she always does when she was in deep thought. He only hoped that she was thinking about him. 

"OY!" Ron suddenly yelled, Hermione's face fading from Harry's mind and Draco's eyes from Hermione's. Both of Ron's friends spun around to look at him. "Have you two gone mad? It's like I'm the only sane person around here. All you guys ever -" 

"Um, Ron, you've got something in your teeth.." Harry said, stifling a laugh. Hermione suddenly giggled. 

"Huh? Where?" Ron discreetly put a finger in his mouth, covering it with the other hand. 

Hermione bent a little bit. "Oh, right there… no… a little bit to the left… That's it!" 

Ron glanced down at his fingers, but there was nothing. "Wait a minute! There's nothing here!" he exclaimed. 

Harry and Hermione burst into laughter as they high-fived each other. 

"Gotcha!" The said in unison. Harry momentarily felt a shock as he touched Hermione's hand. 

"Oh. Okay. That's right. Pick on me, will ya?" Ron rolled his eyes, exasperatedly. He stuck out his tongue to the both of them. Hermione ruffled his hair. "Ickle Ronniekins…" she teased. 

Harry smiled at the sight of this. His friends. They were all that mattered to him. 

Suddenly the doors to the Great Hall opened with a bang that everyone turned to its direction. 

"The Hogwarts Forum! Get your copy! Newest edition ever!" 

Harry now realized that Magda had a new partner Colin Creevey. His camera was slung around his neck while both of his hands carried new copies of their school's newsletter, which seemed to be a lot heavier than him. Harry glanced around to see that nobody made a move to get his or her copies. He grinned. After what happened last week, they didn't want that to happen again. 

"Oh relax will ya!" Magda exclaimed. She made her way towards the Slytherin table first, gesturing for Colin to come with her. "I haven't written anything stupid now. If you ask me, this is all pretty boring news. But this is what you guys want, so this is what you guys get." She said as she slumped a few Hogwarts Forum on the table. Next she laid out copies on the Hufflepuff table, then Ravenclaw the finally, Gryffindor. 

"Happy Reading," Magda greeted everyone while pushing her glasses back. After this she left the Great Hall, Colin Creevey trailing behind her. 

All of a sudden there was a commotion over at the Slytherin table. Ron glanced over there and saw Malfoy being slapped in the back. Ooh, that arrogant son of a bitch, he thought. "What's that about?" he wondered out loud. 

"Ron, look," Harry said as he read aloud the article at the front page, which was headlined: _COVENCRAFT: Draco Malfoy's Stash Making Pub_. There was a picture of the Covencraft with Malfoy in the foreground, arms crossed over his chest. 

" 'This weekend, everybody who's anybody will want to be at the opening night of Covencraft, Draco Malfoy's recently owned pub. Expect great live music from Cakewalk, Fusion Pack and the international phenomenon DJ Crestfold.' " 

"He owns a pub?" Harry said, looking up from the article. 

"Well, Harry, he's a Malfoy, that means he owns a lot." Ron exclaimed. 

"Yeah, but don't all those things belonged to Lucius Malfoy?" 

"Maybe he inherited everything once his father was sent to Azkaban," Hermione suggested. 

"Yeah, that's right, you lot!" Malfoy suddenly raised his voice, enough for everybody to hear. "And each and everyone of you is invited to come!" 

Before long, the Great Hall erupted into yelling and hollering, all in excited voices. 

"Oh my god, what the hell am I gonna wear?" Lavender Brown gasped from the opposite side of the table. 

"Yeap, gentlemen," Dean Thomas said to Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnegan. "It's time for Cassanova…" He said in a funny voice. 

Ron was shaking his head at the sudden outburst. "Damn. You guys gonna go there?" 

Harry looked thoughtful. "I don't know Ron," he said, looking at him. Of course, he still hated Malfoy, but they'd pretty much ignored each other for the past few days. He turned around to Hermione. "What about you?" he asked. 

"I don't know either," she said, biting her lip. "But it sure would be fun, wouldn't it?" 

She hoped she didn't sound too earnest. She wanted to go, but if her friends weren't coming, then she won't. 

"Oh, what the hell." Ron threw his head back. "Voldemort's really gone, the Malfoys are at their worst right now, no harm in having a little fun, right?" 

Harry gradually nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. I bet it'll be fun." 

Hermione looked at Harry then Ron. "So, are we gonna go?" 

Ron smiled. "You bet we will!" 

* * * 

That afternoon, Harry Potter walked outside for a while on the school grounds. He let Hedwig fly for a while, who was now just hovering above him. The air was great. The sky was a perfect sapphire, with the clouds just hanging low. The sun was lazily shining its light upon everything Harry's eyes could lay upon. His feet took him to a hill, where he sat down for a while. 

God, he was so thankful right now. It wasn't until the summer when he was allowed to live with his godfather, Sirius Black. Harry informed Mr. Weasley, who had become the Minister of Magic that Sirius had been innocent all along. Wormtail was caught and all charges filed against Padfoot were raised. He was a free man and Harry Potter at last lived in the same roof with a family. 

He still thought about Dumbledore. How is he in Azkaban? He knew there weren't any dementors around his cell, but still he was worried. Albus Dumbledore's silver white hair and soft blue eyes in his head were soon replaced by a girl with auburn hair and russet eyes. 

Hermione. 

God. She means so much to me. If she only knew that I was crazy about her. He looked at the sky. She's my best friend and the only girl I will ever love. He took off his glasses and stared at them. He chuckled softly. His glasses were still in perfect shape because of Hermione. If it weren't for her, his eyesight would be worse. He couldn't see without Hermione. She's so spe - 

His thoughts came into an abrupt stop as someone put their hands over his eyes. 

"Guess who?" The voice asked in a snarled tone. 

Harry smiled. He knew those hands too well to make a mistake. He knew that voice too perfectly. 

"Let's see. Your favorite subject is Arithmancy, you detest Divination, your favorite book is Hogwarts: A History which you've memorized totally by heart. Your parents are dentists, you tricked Madame Pomfrey into shrinking your two front teeth, and recently you used muggle products to tame your once bushy hair…… Is that you Ron?' 

Hermione pushed Harry's head. 

"Ow!" he hollered, rubbing the back of his head. 

"Ha ha." Hermione said, putting her hands on her hips. "Very funny." 

Harry looked up to her. "Did you follow me all the way from the castle?" 

She looked down on him. "No," she lied. 

Harry raised an eyebrow. 

"Yes," she finally said. "Well I wondered where you were going." 

Harry smiled. "Come down here, sit with me." He patted the soft grass beside where he was sitting. Hermione took the seat and sat down. Both of them were silent for a while as they enjoyed the view. The horizon was a bit foggy and unclear but it was still there. Settled on the land on top of the hill, it looked like they were the only people in the world. Above them, Hedwig was hooting freely, flying around in circles. Protecting them. She was almost invisible at the clouds because of her 

snowy white feathers. 

Hermione contemplated whether or not they should talk about the Common Room. There was a gentle breeze in the air and it blew her hair softly. She didn't mind when some strands went into her face. Harry'd been acting as if nothing has happened. 

"Hermione?" Harry gently said. 

"Mmhmm?" she didn't take her eyes off of the horizon. She was a bit fearful of what she would see in his eyes. 

"You're my friend, right?" he asked. 

She turned to look at him. His eyes were calm, tranquil. "Of course, Harry." 

"Promise me no matter what happens, we'll always be friends." 

She frowned. "Harry, we made that promise ages ago. But I promise to keep it. What are you talking about?" 

Harry looked down on the grass. Played with it for a while. His long jet-black hair blew with the wind. "Good. Because," he gazed at her face. "I love you." 

She drew a deep breath. "I know. And I love you too." But she was unsure of herself. 

Harry smiled meekly and shook his head. "No you don't". 

"Harry, I care about you." She ran her hand through his hair. The strands were soft, even if they looked messy. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you, my best friend. I don't want to lose you. You're all I ever think about." Tears were swelling up in her eyes. Confusion. Uncertainty. She wasn't used to this. 

But Harry was composed. He took her hand into his. "Now that's the Hermione I know. Of course I know you care about me, and that you don't want to lose me. I've known it for seven years. And that's how it will always be." 

"Harry, I don't understand." 

He was looking tenderly at her. He looked different with his specs off. Now, she could see everything. And she knew he was telling her the truth. "You don't love me Hermione. No… wait. You do love me, but not in the way that I love you." Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but Harry hushed her. "You love someone else, not me." 

A single tear crawled down her cheek. She shook her head. "So you're just going to think that nothing happened between us at the Common Room?" She wanted to scream. But she couldn't. All she could do was cry. 

Harry cupped her cheeks and wiped her tears away. She was trembling. "Hermione, nothing happened at the Common Room." 

Her tears were uncontrollable now. "Harry, how could you?" She took her hand away from him. "Harry, you kissed me right then and there! You… You and I…We… God! You just want to forget all that?" 

Harry shook his head. Hermione could see complete bewilderment in his eyes. "Hermione, when was that?" 

"Oh don't tell me you forgot!" She stood up, her arms crossed on her chest. "All right. All right. I'll play your stupid game! The night before I went to my detention!" 

"Hermione!" Harry was still sitting down, looking up at her while she was pacing around. "I was asleep, remember?" 

"You brought me a cup of hot chocolate!" 

"But I was asleep! I told you!" Harry threw his arms in the air. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" 

She froze in her steps and pointed a finger at him. "Did you just raise your voice at me?" 

He raised a finger up at her too. "You raised your voice first!" 

"Did not." 

"Did too." 

"Did not!" 

"Did too!" 

"Did - Oh damn it!" She yelled. "We are not gonna have this immature conversation!" She knelt down beside Harry and stared at him. She held his shoulders. "Look at me in the eye and tell me you're not lying." 

Harry gazed at her, not blinking at all. They were eye to eye. "I am not lying to you, Hermione Granger. I couldn't." 

At this, she loosened her grip on him, but she wouldn't let go of her gaze on him. He's telling the truth, she thought. 

"Oh my God…" Hermione gasped. 

Harry looked at her. "What's wrong? What happened?" He tried to search her eyes which were now wet with tears. 

"Hermione?" 

"Oh Harry!" she cried out as she hugged him. 

He was surprised. She was quivering in his arms. She was so light and frail, he was afraid he might crush her if he held on to her too long. 

"Tell me what happened…" 

"Harry, I did the most god-awful thing. I - I thought it was you. He looked like you. I didn't well… it was dark. I… damn it… I kissed him…. I 

let him touch me… I … I just thought it was you… Oh my god…" 

Rage was building inside of Harry. He held her close as Hermione continued to sob. Who could have done it? Why did he do it… he thought as he stroked Hermione's hair. Whoever had done this to her would pay. "Hermione," Harry said as he gently pulled her away, so he could look into her eyes. Tears were making them glisten, making her even more beautiful. "Do you think it was Malfoy?" 

She shook her head. He noticed the way her face changes everytime he mentions that name. "No, couldn't be." 

"Polyjuice?" Harry suggested. 

"Well, were not supposed to learn how to make that until later this year, remember?" 

"So who could it be?" 

Hermione just shrugged. 

Harry nodded. "All right then. We'll find out who that is and make him pay." 

Hermione just leaned on to Harry, enjoying his reassuring touch. For a while, they took the pleasure of having a wordless moment. She smiled as her head nestled on his shoulder. He was her defender. Her shield. Her friend. The sun was setting down and the sky was slowly turning into scarlet. "We better get back or we'll miss dinner." Harry said after a while. "Yeah, you're right." Hermione said as she began to stand up. She wiped her eyes dry. 

"Crybaby." Harry teased her. She only made a face at him. 

Harry looked up and saw Hedwig perch upon a sturdy branch. She saw the whole thing. 

"Come on Hedwig. It's back to the Owlery for you," he said as he took Hermione's hand once more and made their way back to the castle.

*********************************************************************************************************


	3. Covencraft

Chapter 3

COVENCRAFT

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling, the characters are not mine, but some of them are… blahblahblah… read the A/N please! Thank you for reading!

            It was midnight and it was exactly seven days after that little variety show down at the school grounds. Hermione Granger was taking her time walking down the stairs of Hogwarts and out into the cold night breeze. Why the hell was she doing this? If worse comes to worse, this might all be a trick and Malfoy was just bait for a trap. Then again, he had given her seven days to think about it.

            "… So there's no murder plot there…" Hermione grumbled as she was talking to herself. " Bugger… I should have at least told this to Harry and Ron… What if nothing happened? Wait a minute… am I actually expecting for something? Aurgh!"

            The crescent moon was shining above her, and the crickets were singing their songs. She could see the air coming out of her nostrils. It was definitely chilly. Hermione pulled her school robes closer to her body as she trotted down the path. Her feet were probably black by now… 

            "Okay Granger… You're just going to go out there and meet with the ferret boy… try not to get lost in his bloody eyes, listen to what he has to say, speak then--- Eeep!"

            Hermione squealed as she almost tripped on a rock that she didn't see before. She let out a deep breath. "Bloody stone! Tell me this isn't a sign! God, it would be better if… if…"

            She stopped dead in her tracks. He was standing there, leaning on the tree by the lake. His hands were inside the pockets of his robes, and one foot was up on the bark. He was gazing at something right in front of him, but far away. Hermione didn't know if she wanted to leave or stay.

            Malfoy's silky voice filled her ears. "I was about to think you wouldn't show up," he silenced the night.

            Hermione maintained her distance. "I was kind of thinking the same thing."

            Draco looked down on the ground before turning his head to look at her. Her hair was dancing with the wind. All that separated them was an invisible wall of pride and hatred. "Why did you come?" he asked. He showed no feelings, no curiosity. He was making a statement.

            She nervously licked her lips. "I don't know."

            They stood there for a while, eyes not letting go of each other. Then Draco held out his hand. Hermione looked at it, then took it into hers. Before she knew it, his other hand slid gracefully to the side of her waist and held her close. Soon there were two shadows under the tree. The giant squid was snoring peacefully nearby.

            "Malfoy, I…" she began. They were face to face. His breath was warming her face from the artic atmosphere. 

            "Hush…" He put a finger on her lips and immediately she felt a sensation creep up her neck. He stroked her soft curls. Slowly he leaned down. His lips found hers once more, familiarizing with the truthfulness with his passion. And just like that, she released him. 

            "Draco." Her words seem to strike her own heart. "We can't."

            But Draco couldn't stop. "Look. I'm sorry about what happened in the trophy room… I'm sorry about everything, from the very beginning…. I never—"

            "No!" Hermione persisted. "Listen to me. What happened in the trophy room was a mistake! It was just hormones in our body. We couldn't have controlled it. Being teenagers, we're all subject to sexual attraction, the hunger for it." She closed her eyes and paused for a while to catch her breath. "Look. We can just forget about it. Pretend it never happened. I could keep a secret. I'm very good in keeping secrets! Why, I know exactly how Ginny got her first period and I still haven't told anyone –"

            "Hermione." Draco held up one hand to shut her up. She was babbling already. Hermione shut her mouth immediately. Being a Malfoy, she thought, one had a certain power to shut anyone up. No one dared to speak when a Malfoy raised his hand. 

            "You listen to me." Draco's hair was loose and found itself falling into his eyes. I feel so much about you. I know what I feel about you is wrong, but it feels so right! Don't you get it, Hermione Granger? I am in love with you, no matter what!" He was holding both of her hands in his, hoping she could read what was on his mind.

            "I don't know, Draco…" Hermione looked down to her shoes. "How am I to know if you're serious about all this? What if you're just lying to me?"

            "Hermione, I can give you anything, everything you want! A lifetime security!" He was practically begging for her.

            "Draco, that's not what being in love is about!" She exclaimed as Draco's face was filled with unbelief. "You're a Malfoy. You're always used in getting what you want through force. Power. Your hundreds and thousands of Galleons…"

            "But all girls want presents! I could give a big library filled with hundreds of books, all you can read… God damn it, Hermione! I need you in my life!"

            Draco exasperatedly threw his hands in the air and turned around. He didn't want her to see him weak. "You don't know how it's like, to have a father who raised you with rules and discipline, instead of love and care. To have a mother who's barely even there for you. I'm not as perfectly, filthy rich as you think I am. I may have everything, but still. I can't have the one thing that I want." His eyes laid rest on the lake which was slowly waving. "And that's you, Hermione. You don't know how much strength you've given me. You don't know how much you mean to me."

            They were silent for a while, with Draco's back at Hermione. Finally, she reached up to touch her shoulder. The slightest touch of her fingers made him feel like his knees would give in. "Draco, I don't know what I want… This is all too much for me… Everything is happening so fast…"

            He spun around to look at her again. Hermione didn't realize that Malfoy Eyes could also be filled with such emotions. "Would the choice be much easier for you if I was a fucking hero?"

            Hermione frowned. "What…What do you mean?"

            "If I messed up my hair, if I dyed it black? Would it make such a difference that you would chose me? What's the matter? Can't decide between me and Potter?" His face filled with disgust and hatred. "Is that what you want? You want me to have a scar before you fall in love with me?"

            SMACK!

            Hermione slapped Draco right across his face with all her feminine might. It was the second time that happened and Malfoy wondered if his cheek would be immune by now. "Damn you Malfoy!" she yelled. "You are such an annoying prick! One minute you pour out your whole heart to me, the next minute you're your usual self-righteous prick! What is going on between me and Harry is none of your fuckin' business! I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU DRACO MALFOY! And I don't know the hell why! That's why I need to think about it! I don't know if I've gone mental, or daft… or shit! If you want me, you have to take it slow! Now I don't have to stand here and listen to you complain about every little fucking detail about your life! Right now, I'm freezing my ass off, and I swear if I could summon some hot cocoa right now, I'd die happy. So I'm going back inside, and I don't care if you follow me or not, got that? So good night, sweet dreams, and I'll see you in the morning!"

            At that, she sharply turned her heel and began to march to the direction of the cozy comforts of the castle.

            Draco stood there and watched her silently, following her with his eyes as her figure dissolved in the darkness. He lifted his hand to his cheek, where she had hit him. It was still stinging with pain. But he didn't mind. He had withstood pain a lot worse than that. After a while, there was nothing but a tall, silver-haired rogue under the moon in total darkness.

            Did she say she was in love with him too?

            That night, no one was awake to see Draco Malfoy, son of an infamous Death Eater and bona fide Slytherin Bad Boy dancing with sheer joy all by himself, with a tune called Macarena inside his head.

            People would have paid Galleons to watch that once in a lifetime event. 

***

"HE WHAT?!?!?"

"Shh!!! Ron!!"

It was the following day and Hermione hadn't gotten any sleep at all. She had subjects to study for, a deranged love life to think about and a bushy hair to tame for two hors everyday. Still she wasn't trying to be such a bitch about it. And she was trying very hard. 

            They were roaming around their school grounds when both she and Harry decided it was time to tell him of the mystery make-out at the common room. Of course Ron couldn't keep but be a big brother about it, as well as a big mouth.

            "Who the fuck tried to do it with you? Damn him! Bloody asshole… Whoever that guy is will be in serious pain! I swear, he'll have his insides out… his outsides in… Fuckin' faggot! That… that…shit! Come on Harry, help me think of a good word!"

            "Easy, Ron," Harry couldn't help smiling at his friend, whose face was now as red as his hair. "We have to think. Come on…"

            Ron took a deep breath. "Okay. Serious."

            "Okay. Who could be a suspect? Who would be crazy in love with our Hermione to do such a thing?"

            Ron nodded in agreement. "Okay. Hmmm…. Think… who could be…." Ron rubbed his chin with his fingers, trying to look like he was thinking hard.

            Hermione looked from Harry to Ron then back again. They were thinking longer than she expected. Finally she hit them both in the head. "Oh, stop it you two! 

            Hermione looked from Harry to Ron then back again. They were thinking longer than she expected. Finally she hit them both in the head. "Oh, stop it you two! I thought we were serious!" She gave them the cutest pout they could ever see.

            Both boys exploded with laughter. It was a rare sight to see Hermione all cute and funny, instead of her usual, bossy flair. When this happens, it was a sight for keeps. 

            "Just playing, 'mione!" Ron said between giggles. "No one finds you ugly. In fact, if anyone thought otherwise, we'll punch him in the nose!"

            Hermione looked up to him. "Why thanks Ron. I never knew violence was a way for solving a problem," she smiled sarcastically.

            Harry sighed. "Look, Hermione," he said as he put his arm around her. She didn't how much this friendly gesture was hurting him. "It might just be some perverted bloke, so it's best to be safe. Next time you see either one of us looking suspicious, just ask us a question only the really three of us know…"

            "She looked at him, her eyes twinkling. "And what's that?"

            "Simple. Ask us what your favorite drink is…"

            At the answer to that, Hermione's mouth began to water and she suddenly had a dreamy look in her face. "Mmm…. Butterbeer…."

            Ron raised his eyebrows. "Oh come on, Harry. Almost everyone at school loves butterbeer!"

            Harry looked at his friend with a triumphant face. "I know that, but we have to answer exactly how she answered it."

            Ron immediately had a wicked grin in his face. Hermione started to open her mouth in protest. Suddenly, Ron's eyes looked like it had seen a Chuddley Cannons player in person. His whole face lit up and he batted his eyelashes furiously. "Mmm… Butterbeer…." He mocked with full tease.

            Hermione put her arms across her lips as Harry hollered with glee. "I do not look like that!" she yelled.

            "Oh yes you do!"

            Hermione exasperatedly rolled her eyes. She remembered something. "Look I hate to be the bearing of bad news, but I'm afraid you guys have to stop teasing me right now if we want to get ready for Malfoy's launching."

            "Oh yeah, you're right," Harry said as he hit his hand on his forehead.

            "Okay. Come on, let's go back to the Gryffindor Tower…"

            "All right…"

            Side by side, the three of them went back to the castle, with Hermione between them. Harry and Ron were her shields, and she was their princess. 

            Over at the other side of the field, Draco Malfoy thought he was going to be sick.

***

            "Earth to Draco! Earth to Draco!"

            *POP*

            Draco Malfoy was pulled in back to his real world. He was too stuck in watching The Magnificent Trio having fun all by themselves. Did Potty and Weasel know how much their little friend was worth to him? Their enemy? "Yeah! Sorry… Slytherin domination. Get rid of the Mudblood filth. Right."

            Pansy Parkinson raised a perfectly parlorued eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Honestly, Draco. You are off it lately!" Some of the Slytherins were there outside the castle, having a little meeting about a certain agenda. "I mean, first you get yourself on top of the enemy, now you get that… that look… It's a good thing we still trust you… I mean, of course, you still are Lucius Malfoy's son… and fibber jabber wigga wigy paddy mow poo poo yalla ba yalla…."

            Pansy's words began to mean nada. Draco couldn't get it. How will he ever get Hermione? Tonight was the launching of Covencraft and she just had to be there. Maybe if he tried to be civil with his two bodyguards. Of course, if Potter or Weasley showed any sign of disgust to him, they'd each get the receiving end of his fist. But how will he do it… may be if he just—

            "Malfoy!"

            *POP*

            "Huh?"

            "Damnit! Pay attention!" Pansy's nostrils were flaring. " I said, what do you think about the plan?"

            Draco shook his head slowly and rolled his eyes. "I think it's bullshit." Well it was just right, he hadn't heard a word from Pansy's mouth since he could remember. "Look, you seriously need to sort out your priorities. Getting rid of the mudbloods… Is that all you want in your life? Let's say we do accomplish it, then what? You haven't been out there like I do. Slytherin pride won't get you anywhere."

            "What the hell are you saying Malfoy?" Judas Hemington said. He was a sixth year with the height of a first year student. "You sound like a father working your ass out!"

            "That's because I am Judas!"

            Several girls gasped in unison. "Who's the mother?" Pansy asked.

            "No, you moron!" Draco stood up and faced his so-called friends. "I'm the only one here left with all my father's dirty works! You might probably get yours in a couple of years, but none of you doesn't get stressed out like I do!"

            All the Slytherins looked at each other. Malfoy gave up. "I've had enough of this. I'm going inside. Crabbe? Goyle? Are you coming?"

            He looked at his two companions who were busy playing with a twig they found on the ground. Both boys looked at each other and shrugged. They followed Malfoy like two St. Bernards following their master. 

            Pansy rolled her eyes as the three of them left. "Bastard."

            Judas smirked. "You'd think he was going through his mid-life crisis already."

            "Whatever." Pansy flipped her hair. "Okay. Covencraft. Granger. Here's what we'll do to that little bitch…"

***

            "I don't see why we have to be dressed in muggle clothes,' Ron complained, adjusting his black pants. "I mean, are these supposed t be this big? Look, it's like two legs could fit in one hole!" He was dressed in a black shirt, and his maroon trench coat was hanging on his left shoulder. 

            Harry frowned in the mirror for the nth time. "It looks fine, Ron," he said to his friend. "What about me? Does this make me look gay?" he turned around at Ron.

            Ron looked at his friend who was sporting a beige coat with a turtleneck white jumper. His pants were also the same color as his coat. Ron glanced up and down. "Nope," he said finally.

            It was time for them to go to their trip to Hogsmeade. Already the students were excitedly talking to themselves about Draco Malfoy's club. It was just a while ago when Gryffindor common room could easily be taken as any other common room in England as students drifted out of their dormitories in such rich and colorful muggle clothes. Now, only Harry and Ron were left.

            "Do you realize we're always the last people to go out?" Ron was tapping his foot impatiently on the marble floor. "I bet everyone's already dancing naked in Covencraft."

            "Don't be silly, Ron," Harry replied. "No one's gonna dance naked." He shuddered at the thought of a naked McGonagall. "Besides, she'll be here. Just wait for Hermione."

            As if on cue, the door to the Girl's dormitory opened with a loud creek. "All right, I'm ready!" They heard Hermione's voice. "I'm going down, but promise me you won't laugh!"

            Ron and Harry looked at each other. "We promise," they said in unison.

            They heard the door close with a click, and heard the footsteps go down the stairs. Slowly, a beautiful maiden with auburn hair emerged. Suddenly, their jaws dropped a hundred feet per second.

            Hermione knew it. She knew there was something wrong. The bottle of Smoother's Hair Care slipped from her fingers while she was trying to pout it over her hair. It had emptied itself on her head. Now it was too flat. She followed her friends' stare as they looked down on her body. The dress? Well, it was kinda short, but she thought it was pretty okay. Oh God, they probably want her to go back and change. 

            Ron let out a loud whistle. Harry's jaw was still on the floor. "Wow," he breathed.

            Hermione's face lit up. "Really?"

            Harry could only nod. Her hair looked smooth as velvet. She was wearing a little black dress which showed her bare arms and longs legs. They material seem to hug hr body as all the curves of her figure appeared, making her perfect.

            "Well," Ron cleared his throat. "Off we go then?" He broke off the silence that was lingering in the common room.

            "Right," Harry agreed as he grabbed his coat from the chair. He glanced back at Hermione. "You do have something to cover your body before we get there, right?"

            Hermione smiled. "Of course."

            "Then that's settled then!" Ron exclaimed and raised his arms in the air. "Let's PARTY!"

***

            She was singing to herself, singing in a language only she could understand. Around her, the twelve of them danced in silence, to the silent music. It was best to keep silent as Phoenix was in a trance. Her fingers twisted in front of her, forming an invisible chain of web.

            "Rico," she whispered in a husky voice. "It's your turn."

            The young man with the mask of the Horned God cleared his through. He nervously took as step forward and stood beside his high priestess, Phoenix. He raised his arms in the air, facing the moon. He opened his moth and began to chant.

            "Fides quarens intellectum, sitz im leben, laedes in hoc veritas."

            The moon seemed to glow brighter as the leaves rustled in the wind. All the other members of the coven held hands as the crickets sang even louder with them. 

            "In hoc ceteris paribus pax normatin, deriphey tau veritas. Orphatim! Orphatim! Orphatim!"

            The world was suddenly turning faster. They could feel it. They could feel the rush of the waves of the sea thousands of miles away. They felt the grumble of the earth. It was a violent showcasing of how the world really was. Then all of a sudden it stopped. The crickets ceased to sing, and the wind ended to blow.

            Phoenix, the High Priestess smiled to herself. "Very good, Rico. Tonight's the night. Now it's only a matter of time." She turned around to the six of the members who wore hooded cloaks and held a spoon in front of them.

            "High Priestess, what did we just do?" a young member said, fidgeting with her fingers. 

            "What we just did, Lana, is a portkey." Phoenix replied.

            The members looked at each other. They were curious. "What is a portkey?" They asked.

            Phoenix looked at them. "It transports you to any where it is designed send you. This right here, will send you to the most powerful man our generation has seen. He will eliminate all the inferior and filthy races, give back what is rightfully ours, and he will rule both our world and his."

            "High Priestess, please, If all we needed was this man, this boy, then why do we need to raise that Voldemort guy from the dead?"

            "We didn't raise him from the dead. We just brought his soul back from the netherworld. Once the boy is here, he shall be fully regenerated and they will both rule, side by side."

            There was a little silence for a while. Phoenix looked up to the six figures in cloaks. "Are you ready ladies?"

            All of them just nodded. 

            "Okay," Phoenix said as she gave the spoon to one of them. "Hurry. All of you hold the spoon tight. Before you know it, you're already there. Anna, you know what to do right?" 

            The tallest one of them nodded. Those who weren't coming looked in awe as slowly the ladies disappeared in thin air.

            "So, you mean to tell me that a spoon will take all of them there?" Dan, a tall dark haired guy asked Phoenix after the women left.

            Phoenix smirked. "You do not believe me?"

            Dan shrugged. "You know babe, whatever. I'm just in it for you." 

            Phoenix smiled. "For me, or for the ecstasy you get when you're in me?"

            Dan raised his eyebrow and went up to her. "Both," he said as he moved closer to Phoenix and suddenly grabbed her breast, in front of the men who were left behind. They were also moving closer to him.

            Seth slowly undressed Phoenix as the others began to kiss her mouth, her legs and her hair. She moaned slightly, but didn't let them hear her weakness. "Now tell me again why you let the girls do the job and not us…" he said as he started to nibble on her nipple.

            She waited until she could speak. It was hard while another boy was licking her pussy. She couldn't understand his rhythm and it was making her crazy. She winced a little while her nipples were being bitten. Her legs couldn't hold herself up anymore and so the boys, all six of them laid her down the ground. They all started undressing.

            "Because while they're gone, we could do a little ritual for Gedebesh, the goddess. She could give us guidance." She said when she found her voice.

            Under the moon, one man was kissing her on the lips, two boys were sucking her both her nipples, one was licking her pussy. It was nothing but a group of bodies all making sin. Her brain was clouded but she kept remembering that this was all for Gedebesh. 

            She started screaming when she couldn't take it anymore. This was too much. Her body was trembling, but she refused to give up. Some of them already cummed, and so it was the two boys who went up to her. 

            "Well if this is for Gedebesh, might as well give her our everything," one of them said. 

            She couldn't remember their names. She couldn't remember exactly what they did to her. One was fucking her in front, the other behind. Their bodies all had different rhythms. They were trying to do the impossible. Some of them began to harden again, and they were all trying to get something of her. Her skin, her breasts, everything. Phoenix was screaming with rapture but still they didn't stop.

            "Stop… please…" She screamed. The boys just laughed at this sudden change of her attitude. Usually she was the domineerig one. Now, she was their slave. They all liked this when they did a ritual for Gedebesh. _Shitshitshitshitshitshit… fuckfuckfuckfuck… Oh my god, fuckfuckfuck… _

            Soon they were filled with sweat, all wet and hungry, wanting for more. She was sucking someone's dick, and they sweet taste filled her throat. Then it was another, each one seemed to be bigger than the previous. All the while, someone was fucking her. Her nipples were on fire. She was on fire. 

            And it went on.

***

            Over at the other side of the country, Draco Malfoy started to feel horny. But his head wanted to explode.

            The band's music was filling the whole pub. It could be heard from outside the building, but then again no one was there to hear it. Everyone was inside, dancing till their feet couldn't hold them up anymore. There were crazy house lights and smoke everywhere. The food was free and the drinks were bottomless, and everyone indeed was having a blast. 

            The faculty who were invited had a special table in the second floor and they were merely talking. Draco was there for a while, entertaining his guests. He ignored the pain in his head.

            "Mr. Malfoy, this is such a splendid party!" Professor McGonagall said, with her bright red lipstick and her overly blushed cheeks. They too, were required to wear muggle clothes and she was wearing a sequins halter top, showing off her wrinkly arms. "I'm glad the children are having so much fun!"

            Draco smiled politely. "Thank you, professor, but remember, you still owe me a dance before the night is over."

            At the other end of the table, Snape snorted. Draco read his mind and leaned over to his side. "Don't worry Professor Snape. You're still my favorite." At this, Snape smiled proudly to himself. "Where's Crabbe and Goyle, Mr. Malfoy?"

            "Oh, they're down at the door. Making security checks. You know." He replied. "Where is the Headmaster, by the way?"

            "Oh, he's downstairs, breaking it down," Minerva said in a ghetto accent. Professor Trelawney squealed with laughter.

            Sure enough, Aberforth Dumbledore was there, right in the middle of a mass of students, break dancing. Draco couldn't believe his eyes. For a man his age, he sure could do his stuff. He was rolling all over the floor doing the Snake, the Helicopter, even standing up on his hands. The students were cheering him on. Some of the muggles were chanting.

 "Go! Go! Go! Go Berty! It's your birthday! We gonna party like it's your birthday!"

Draco didn't know it was their headmaster's birthday. "Excuse me professors." He said and left just as Professor Sprout began to hiccup uncontrollably.

He went down the stairs, his head throbbing furiously. He paused for a while and grabbed it while a few sixth years greeted him. He continued his way when suddenly he bumped into Goyle.

"Goyle!" Draco exclaimed, startled. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be guarding the doors. Make sure no one gets inside without the entrance fee!" He turned around. "Where's Crabbe?"

"Dunno," Goyle shrugged. "I got hungry. Sorry."

"Well go back to the door after, alright? Jesus." Goyle nodded and left hurriedly before without hearing another word from Draco's lips.

"Weird." He thought as he made his way through the crowd, hoping to catch the Headmaster. He'd hate to be the last person to greet him. Over at the other side of the floor, he could see Potter and Weasley dancing, more like jumping to the beat. He could tell that they were sweaty already. He heard a Gryffindor named Lavender say to her friend that "Ron looks so yummy… he's been at it all night long with Harry!" Draco stopped walking for a while and craned his neck. A few girls asked if they could dance with him, but he ignored them. Whenever Potter and Weasley was, surely there would be…

"There you are," Draco muttered, smiling to himself. He found her. Hermione was dancing to the beat, hypnotizing anyone who was watching her. Her body was inviting him, enticing him. Draco wanted to rip off her clothes right then and there.

Soon the music changed from an incredibly fast techno muggle music to a slow, soft ballad. Already the dance floor was clearing up. Some people wanted to get another drink, others were too tired. The trio was just beginning to walk back to their tables when Draco decided to walk towards them. 

***

Hermione muttered a refreshing spell to herself. She became incredibly sweaty after dancing, and she needed to be dry and sweet smelling if she wanted the whole night to last. Suddenly the music changed to a song she used to know. It was a love song. She bit her lip as Harry started to come to her. The soft music was filling the air.

"Hermione?" Harry said as he looked down on her.

"Yeah?" she replied as she was looking in his emerald green eyes. 

"I was wondering if maybe, you'd wanna…"

"Oh bloody hell, look who's coming…" Ron accidentally broke off the spark.

 It wasn't until she found Malfoy walking up to her that Hermione almost froze.

"Granger," Malfoy said with a little bow when he reached her. He was wearing all black. His head stood out and his silver eyes shone even in the dark of the club.

"Malfoy," she replied, returning the courtesy. They looked at each other for a while.

"Weasley… Potter!" Ron said sarcastically as he pointed to himself and Potter. He was surprised to see Draco and Hermione having a moment. Did he miss something here? "Now that we know each other properly, maybe we could…"

"Ron, don't start," Hermione said, putting her hand on Ron's chest. Draco found this incredibly annoying. But being a Malfoy meant he was able to hide his feelings. 

"Weasley, glad to see you here." He retorted, looking at him straight in the eye. "Thank you for coming." He was doing this for Hermione.

Ron opened his mouth and immediately shut it. For the first time, he was dumbfounded. Hermione couldn't believe it. Was he actually being nice to them?

"Look I don't know what the hell you're pulling off this time but I fuckin swear—" Ron banged his fists to each other but Harry held him. It was he who played along with Malfoy's game. 

"It's our pleasure, Malfoy. Nice pub you got here."

Draco looked at Harry. He eyed him suspiciously. 

Hermione broke the silence and folded her arms across her chest. . "Oh, for heaven's sake. I know this is very uncomfortable for all of us. So just tell me why you came here and get it over with."

"I came here because I wanted to dance with you," Draco said, without missing a bit. 

There he goes again, saying, instead of asking. Hermione thought. "And what if—"

"And what if we told you, you couldn't?" Harry cut it. "There are plenty of Slytherin girls right here. She's not your territory anymore!"

"I want her."

"Well then you could only do it over our dead bodies?"

Draco smiled. "Then I would have to say that it can be arranged."

Hermione tried to butt in. "Honestly—"

"You bastard." Ron gritted his teeth. "Is that a threat?"

"I'm glad you're beginning to use your brain, Weasley—"

"I'D LOVE TO DANCE WITH YOU, MALFOY!"

Both her friends looked at her surprisingly. "Hermione!" Harry gasped. "I thought you were gonna dance with me!"

You didn't ask me, she thought. "Look!" Hermione said, flipping her hair. "You guys don't run my life! For god's sake, it's just a dance. It's not like he's offering me as a sacrifice of something! I'll be fine…" She said with a smile.

Harry looked at Malfoy, who was smirking at him. "She made a choice, Potter. Better get over it."

His blood was boiling, but Harry kept his cool. "So you'd better just be dancing. If I see your hands where they're not supposed to be, you're dead." He meant it.

"Harry, you're not gonna let ferret Boy do this!" Ron argued.

"The night's young, Ron," he replied. "I'm gonna get my chance, right Hermione?" he asked as he stepped forward and kissed Hermione in the cheek. "Let Malfoy have her first."

Hermione almost stumbled. The electricity from Harry's lips was enough to give hr goosebumps. Why did he do it?

Ron grinned as he saw Malfoy's mortified look. "That's right. So we'll be watching—YEOUCH!!!!" he yelped as Prof. Lickorpuss passed their way. "He pinched me! He pinched my freakin' ass!" Ron exclaimed, grabbing his behind. Soon Harry was dragging his best friend to the table who was screaming with rage. Draco and Hermione were all alone again. 

He snickered softly. "Didn't know Weasley was Lickorpuss' type."

            Hermione chuckled. "Didn't know either."

            Draco bent his head to look down at Hermione. His eyes locked with hers. "So how about my dance?" Hermione smiled as she let him lead her to the dance floor. There were a few couples already dancing arm in arm, and Draco walked right in the middle of the dance floor.

            He took her hands and placed them on his neck and put his own arms around his waist. He was in heaven.

            "Draco, what was that little show about?" Hermione asked.

            "Hmm?" he replied. " Well, I thought that I could be civil at least to your friends for starters… Didn't do well though, did I?"

            Hermione only smiled. She looked over to the table. Ron wasn't there. Maybe he went to the bathroom to barf. Harry was there, sipping a Bloody Mary, his eyes totally focused on them. She gave him a reassuring wink. Soon, she was worried about the other people who were probably watching them.

            "Malfoy, are you sure about this?" Hermione suddenly asked. "What would they say about you? What would they think?"

            "Honestly Granger, I'm in love with everything about you except maybe for your mouth." Draco said as he twirled Hermione and suddenly pulled her closer to him. He could feel her soft breasts against her chest, her heart beating in rhythm with his. 

            "So you don't like it when we kiss?" Hermione's eyes glistened. Was she flirting with him?

            "No." Draco smiled as he planted a soft peck on her lips. "I love it."

            She didn't see it coming. And neither did the other students who saw the whole thing. The whole room gasped. Harry dropped his glass on the floor and walked away. Suddenly there was a bright flash of light. Colin Creevey's camera had just preserved that kiss for good ands Magda Skeeter was right beside him. "What a story! I'll be richer than my mother!" Almost immediately the song changed back to techno and people began filling the dance floor.

            Hermione squeezed Malfoy's hand. "Draco, it's getting crowded. You wanna go for a drink… Draco?"

            He was holding her hand, but did hear her. Crabbe and Goyle were still nowhere to be found. They were supposed to guard the doors. Scattered around the corners, around six of them, were figures in hooded cloaks.

            "Draco, what's the problem?" Hermione asked, not letting go of his hand. (_Cue in suspense music, like drums beating… hehehe)_

            "Something's wrong," he heard Draco mutter as his eyes darted everywhere. He found Pansy in her tube top and her popping boobs behind the drinks, her wand aimed right at them. He suddenly remembered Pansy's plan about "…that little mudblood bitch…" He didn't know exactly what it was, but he wouldn't let it happen. With is other hand, he immediately took his wand out of his pocket and aimed it at Pansy. "Hermaphelus!" A white light shot out from his wand and knocked Pansy off her 300 Galleon shoes. Still the figures in hooded cloaks were still there. One of them took off the hood. It was a girl. She didn't have any wand, but faced her palm right at Draco and Hermione's direction. She opened her mouth and began to speak in words that we're familiar to him. Soon, the others around her did the same.

            "What the…" Hermione muttered as she saw what Draco was looking at. 

            "Run Hermione, Run!"

            But they couldn't. No sooner had they taken their first step when their legs suddenly vanished into thin air. Then their bodies, arms, legs. Then they were gone. 

            No one noticed them as the dancing floor continued to be a pool of wet bodies, moving to the rhythm of the flaring music. They continued to dance, bodies to bodies, sweat to sweat.

TBC

A/N: I'm sorry if they're really long. This story is kinda confusing, but thanks for understanding. It wasn't Harry in the common room in the previous chapter, it was someone else… hehehe… hope you figure out the clues. Julian, thank you for the correction. Hedwig is a HE. Hehehe sorry about that.

Your reviews mean a lot to me so thanks so much again!

To serpene du feu… whom I couldn't contact… thanks so much for being loyal to my fic… 

I wanna give a few clues. Phoenix is connected to Draco in some way… we'll see more of the old characters later… god, I hope you find this fic funny… or nice… honestly I'm in an insecurity breakdown here… 

I have my midterms this week so the next chapter will probably come out next week… 

I'm having trouble in writing a good eye catching summary. Such limited characters! Can you guys help me out? English isn't my first language, you see…

Take care.

^|Ceres Vesta|^


	4. Gone

Chapter 4

Gone

            "No, I haven't seen her," Lavender Brown said as Harry and Ron stared at her. It has been hours since Harry saw the kiss, and he couldn't take it anymore. He walked away from the table and grabbed Ron as he went out the Men's room and pulled him towards the exit, much to Ron's protests. Now they were back at the common room, where they waited for Hermione. Unfortunately, she still wasn't there. "Last time I saw her, she was dancing with Draco, and we all know what happened…" she looked at Ron and batted her eyelashes. "Don't worry. I'm sure they're fine. She'll be back."

            Ron looked disgusted. "Uh… okay. Well, um, thanks Lavender," he gulped.

            "Anytime," she replied as she ran a finger down Ron's cheek. "I'll see you around." With that, she turned around and left the boys to themselves. 

            After a brief silence, Harry yelled. "I don't believe it!"

            "Me too!" Ron agreed, raising his voice. "First Lickorpuss, now Lavender!"

            Harry glared at his friend. "I'm not talking about that Ron," he said monotonously. 

            "Oh,' Ron blushed sheepishly. "Sorry."

            "Aurgh!" Harry yelled once more and ran his hand through his hair. He took off his coat and threw it on the floor. "Hermione's with Malfoy and she didn't even tell us! God,  I don't even want to imagine what they're doing right now. She beginning to lose her senses, damn it! What did she see in Malfoy anyway?" Harry was pacing around the room, throwing his arms in the air. Ron was simply following his friend with his eyes and head.

            "Good looks?"

Ron shrugged.

"I have that!"

Ron nodded.

"Money?"

Ron shrugged.

"I have that too!"

Ron nodded. 

"So what's wrong with me?" Harry roared, his veins coming out of his neck. "God damn it, I bet I've even got a bigger willie that him—"

"Watch your language boy!" a painting on the wall of the room suddenly burst alive. An old man holing a candle looked sternly down at him.

"Eww, that's disgusting!" Ron suddenly put his hands over his ears and shut his eyes closed. "Aurgh…"

"What?" Harry yelled.

Ron opened his eyes. "Look Harry. Shut up. Sit down and let me get this straight first." He ordered.

Harry flopped down on one of the couches. 

"So… You like her? Are you in love with Hermione?" Ron asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Harry blew his bangs away from his forehead. "Aren't we both?" He said exasperatedly.

Ron stared at his friend in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

"Well, don't you like her?"

"What are you saying?" Ron shook his head. "I had a little crush on her back then, but that was it!" He raised his eyebrows. "You, on the other hand, sound like you're obsessed with her."

Harry remained quiet. For once, the boy who lived didn't know what to do. 

Ron got the impression that his friend needed him the most right now. He went up to Harry and sat beside him.

"When did this start?"

Harry let out a deep breath. "I don't know. First I thought it was nothing, then it just happened. The more I saw her, the more I felt this way about her. I-it's hard to explain, you see…"

Ron nodded. "So why didn't you tell her?"

"'Coz I didn't want to ruin our friendship!"

"Oh come on, nothing's going to ruin that," Ron argued.

"Yes it will. I don't want that to happen. " Harry shook his head. "And now, Malfoy's got her. That bastard."

Ron laughed. "You got that right. She doesn't deserve him at all."

"And neither does he."

"So what are you gonna do about it?"

Harry lay silent. "I don't know yet." Slowly he got up and gathered his coat from the floor. "Listen, I'm going upstairs and change. You stay here and wait for Hermione. She might come back."

Ron shrugged and put his legs on the chair. "Sure," he said as Harry went up to the door leading to the boys' dormitories.

It was already late in the evening, and early in the morning. Ron opened his book on Quidditch Skills and Thrills. He first read all the passages about learning how to fly using the Skateboard method, from a muggle sports that wizards have used. But then he grew busy and just looked at the colorful pictures instead. He looked in awe as the players swept past the pages with such speed that all you could see were the colors tearing through the air. He was so engrossed in the book when all of a sudden someone placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ahh!" Ron screamed. He jumped up and spun around and saw that the hand belonged to Harry, who was already dressed in his pajamas, which was too big for him.

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed, grabbing his heart. "You scared the shit out of me!"

Harry looked startled and grabbed his heart as well. "Weasley… Ron! I didn't know it was you! I-I thought you were Hermione…"

"Hermione!" Ron yelled in disbelief. "Can't you tell the difference? Short hair, flat chest, hairy legs?"

"No, you were reading… It's kinda dark… Didn't notice, sorry…" Harry said as he shook his head. "So where's Hermione?"

Ron took a deep breath as his heart began to beat normally again. "Still gone. Hasn't come back yet."

"Yet?"

"Yeah," Ron looked at his friend quizzically. "Hello…"

Harry laughed nervously. "Oh."

Ron stared at his friend. "What happened to your clothes? The whole Gryffindor can fit inside there."

"I uh, well…"

"Oh. Don't tell me. Those belong to Dudley, right? Damn that pig." Ron shook his head as he remembered seeing his friend's cousin.

"Right." Harry said. "Well, um, listen. I forgot my books in the library. I think I'll go get them first…" He began to walk away from Ron.

"Huh? Dude, tomorrow's a Saturday. It's fine there." 

"Really." Harry replied as two droplets of sweat trickled down his forehead. "Damn, it's getting hot in here, don't you think?"

Ron eyed his friend cautiously. "Yeah, I guess." He looked down on his wardrobe. He hasn't changed his clothes yet and he was still wearing the jumper. It was chilly last time he checked. _Something's wrong_. "Hermione danced fine, didn't she? Tonight? With you?" he asked suspiciously.

Harry nodded his head furiously. "Yeah, yeah… she was lovely."

_Strike one_. "Good thing no one was there to ruin your night, right?" 

Harry nodded once more. "Yeap, my night was perfect."

_Strike two_. "She is fun to dance with, after a couple of shots of Martini, right? Nothing gets her pumped up than her favorite drink…" Ron said slowly.

"Yeah, she can't have enough of it."

_Gotcha_. Ron stepped closer to the boy. _This isn't Harry_, he thought. 

"Ron! I can't find anymore clean shirt! Can I borrow your…" The real Harry stepped up from the boys' dormitories, hair dripping wet from the shower. He was wearing his flannel pants and his torso was still glistening from the water. . "What the—" he exclaimed as he saw a mirror image of himself downstairs standing in front of Ron.

"Oh shit."  The perpetrator started to run for the exit.

"Oh no you don't!" Ron yelled as he lounged forward and pulled the boy down to the floor. Suddenly they started wrestling. Ron was trying to hold him down but the boy drove his knee on his stomach. "Oof!" Ron gasped.

Harry ran down the stairs, feet thumping on the floor to help his friend. "Ron, get away from him!" Harry shouted as he took his wand out and yelled. Ron ducked. 

 "Petrificus Totalus!" The boy who looked like Harry froze on the floor in mid-shuffle. 

The body lay there, motionless, arms spread on the floor and one of the legs folded. 

"Damn," Ron muttered as he stood up and dusted himself. Harry stepped forward and peered closely at the trickster.

"Hey, I look good," he joked.

Ron shoved his friend. "Shut up. Your evil twin almost took the lights out of me."

Harry snickered. "Sorry… He's probably high on Polyjuice…"

"You think we found Hermione's guy?"

Harry continued to stare at the body. Truth be told, it was weird to see himself sprawled on the floor. But this wasn't him. He had to remind himself. This was someone else who had the damned intention to shag Hermione. "I think so. But now it's time to see who he is." He aimed his wand at his mirror image. "Finite Incantatem." 

Soon, the body was moving again. The boy who looked like Harry groaned as he held up his hand and rubbed his head. Then it happened. Slowly he began to change. Both Harry and Ron looked in astonishment as a big belly larger than what was called proportional bulged up from his stomach. The clothes which seemed too big for him now fit perfectly. His fingers became stubby and thick and his hair grew back to a crew cut. They didn't dare blink as finally, the scar on the forehead disappeared.

"My head…" An ogre-like voice came from him as he stood upright.

"Goyle," Harry breathed.

*          *          *

She was exhausted after that Offering for Gedebesh, but she didn't show it. The moon was round, and the dark clouds around it were watching them. Slowly she stood up from the ground and put her white transparent dress back on her body. He silver hair fell down to the back of her waist, and it was swinging to the direction of the moon. She was feeling sore all over, but she ignored the ache. Someone did tell her once that to show pain is to show weakness, and she was nothing but weak. The others were starting to get dressed again.

"Hurry, it's almost time for them to come back," she said. She looked at the place where her followers had gone just a while ago and waited for their arrival, with the person she wanted the most. 

_I'm going to see him again. What will he look like? Will he still look like me? Will he remember me?_ She took a deep breath as her heart began to throb louder. Different questions formed inside her head, each one as insignificant as the other. _He will take his rightful place, and I along with him. Together with Voldemort we will make all them pay. _

The stars shone on them. In the dark, six images of black coats appeared out of nowhere, rippling through the air. One by one they took off their hoods, and each was smiling with contentment. They have done their job. 

"High Priestess, we did it," Anna said as she walked towards Phoenix. Her blonde hair was falling over her eyes.  "Just as you have told us."

"Very good, Anna." She nodded her head. She looked at the women and the men, then back to the spot of arrival. "Tell me again. What is a coven?"

She was asking no one in particular, but Lana answered her anyway. "A coven is a group of witches and warlocks who gather everytime the Moon tells us to, celebrate life with everything we have and respect each other above all else."

Phoenix smiled. "That's right. And what is the name of our coven, Lana?"

"It's called the Temple of the Dragon, High Priestess."

She nodded her head and her hair followed it. "Do you know the reason why I named it as it is?"

Lana shook her head. Phoenix laughed softly as she let a momentary silence fill her coven. The others didn't know where she was getting at, but they were interested in the answer. They knew nothing about her. They know she goes to the same school, study the same lessons, has a family (though she doesn't want to talk about them) and is incredibly good with all this Wicca stuff, but they knew nothing about her whole being. This time they each felt they were finally getting to a conclusion.

"Someone from my past has a name which means Dragon."

The others looked at each other. Past? Was she hiding something from them?

Phoenix sensed that her friends were getting confused, but they would know soon. "Now make way. My brother is coming."

*          *          *

"You son of a bitch!" Harry's fist landed hard on Goyle's left cheek and he hollered with pain. 

"Harry! Stop it!" Ron yelled as he tried to slide between the Gryffindor and the Slytherin.

But Harry didn't listen. Son of a bitch! His imagination raced despite himself as he could see this bastard kissing Hermione's lips, touching her skin, fingers running up her thighs…His fist landed one more time on Goyle's stomach. The ogre fell on the floor again. His mouth spat blood.

"Harry! We don't hit a man when he's down!" Ron grabbed his friend's shoulder and shook him hard. "Get a grip!"

His blood was raging, his nostrils were flaring, but he told himself to calm down. "Get his face away from me before I punch him in the nose."

"No." Ron couldn't believe it. He was being the rational one around here. He hated being the one to call the shots, but he could see that love has changed this. He took out his wand and pointed it at Goyle.

"You. Stay. We want some answers."

Goyle stopped moaning on the floor and stared at the wand stretched out to him. "If you move a freakin' muscle, you're dead." Weasley told him. 

_God damn it, I'm dead. Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid._

"Why did you do this?" Ron asked him. Goyle looked darkly at him from his beefy eyes. 

"Because I wanted to." His teeth were a bit red from the blood from his gums, but he seemed to ignore this. 

Harry snorted. "Asshole. How did you do it?" he looked at Malfoy's sidekick with disgust.

Goyle's mouth kept shut as he continued to glare at the Gryffindors. _Bloody hell. Asswipes. Freakin Assholes. Booger eating Scarhead and Weasel. Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you. _

"Did you do it with Polyjuice? Who taught you? How could you?" Questions were flying out of Harry's mouth. 

_Poly what? What the hell was he talking about_? "I didn't do it with any freakin juice." _Moron. Nah nah nah nah nah_…. Goyle was thinking of a way to get away from here. _Have to get away. How? I can take Potter, but what about Weasley? Shit shit shit._

"Then tell me how you did it!"

"No!"

"Is Malfoy involved in this?"

Goyle only smirked. "You know the problem with you, Potter? You think you're right all the time. I'll have you to know that Malfoy should be the least of your concerns. Something is going to happen and it's going to hit you hard. If you think—"

But Goyle didn't finish his sentence. Before Harry and Ron got a clue to what was going on, The Horny Pig popped into thin air. Just gone. No traces left of him whatsoever. Ron's wand was aiming at nothing. 

"Damn it!" Harry cursed under his teeth. "What the hell is going on here?"

Ron shook his head. "Shit happens."

Harry grabbed his hair and tried to pull it out. "Shit!" He sat himself on the couch near the fireplace. "Okay. Hermione and Draco are missing, Goyle is suddenly the bad guy here, and he didn't do it with Polyjuice? But that's the only way of being something else, right? That's what Hermione said before."

Ron nodded. "Yeah… so he must be getting help from someone…. Malfoy?"

Harry shook his head. "No, he said he wasn't in any of this."

"Lucius?"

"Locked up, remember?"

"You-Know-Who?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Give me a break!" He bit his lip as he thought deep. 

Ron only looked at his friend. "Something is definitely wrong here."

*          *          *

"WHERE THE HELL IS HE?"

Phoenix was screaming at everyone. It's been half and hour already and her brother wasn't there yet. She didn't understand it. He was supposed to appear on the Spot of Arrival only a few moments after the ladies arrived. Everything has gone according to plan. They followed the cycle of the moon, did the precise rituals, said the right incantations… What went wrong?

"Anna!" Phoenix shouted as the blonde came forward. "Did you get help from someone at the Covencraft like I told you?"

"Yes, High Priestess. The fat boy did as he was told. We saw it."

Her face was becoming as red as a poisonous rose because the blood was all going to her head. "Is that so? Well, let's just hear for ourselves, shall we?" She should have known better than to trust a pig. She took her necklace from inside her dress and held up a little bottle which served as one of the pendants around her neck. 

"Bumalic cah sacin Greggory Goyle. Puntahan mo aco."

Her hair began to fly around once more. Lightning flashed. Someone screamed. Then an ugly boy with a huge tummy appeared in front of them.

The others were beginning to frighten. All this magic was too much for them. But they were also scared to show it. They all stood close to one another on the other side, away from Phoenix and the boy.

"Phoenix! Oh, thank God. You saved me." Goyle gasped as touched his cheek gingerly. His teeth were beginning to protest. 

She only raised her eyebrow. "It wasn't my intention." She said bitterly. Slowly her arms folded across her chest. 

"Your friend isn't here yet."

Goyle frowned. "Malfoy?"

"Draco." Phoenix corrected him. "Don't say that name in front of me." Her eyes didn't let go of him.

"But… I thought…" Goyle didn't understand anything at all.

Phoenix held her breath. "Tell me exactly what you did at the club tonight."

Goyle thought hard. Trying to remember something for the last five hours? His head was about to explode. "Well…. I put the charm like I told you. I put it inside his pockets… Then I saw these girls do their stuff. He was gone. With Hermione Granger." He said the last part with a different tone of voice.

Phoenix gritted her teeth. "Who the hell is Hermione Granger?" She shook her head. "Never mind that. We can make use of her later. Did you do anything before you put the charm inside Draco's pockets?"

Goyle thought hard again. Damn, all these thinking made his head ache. "Let's see. Well, I was outside, on the doors, with Crabbe. I was holding the stone… I mean, the charm on my left hand. I didn't want to let it go." He paused for a while as he recollected his thoughts. "Then a group of older people wanted to go inside the club, but we told them it was only for teenagers below seventeen….We got into a bit of a fight… I put the charm down for a while… Then when it was all over… I picked it up…" Then he hit himself in the forehead. _Shit. Stupid stupid stupid stupid_.

"Goyle!" Phoenix screamed at him. "You stupid, thick, dense fuckin' prick! You dropped the stone! Didn't you think that it could have looked like any other rocks? Damn it!" She started to pace around the soil of the mountain forest. The others were witnessing one of Phoenix's temper tantrums, when she didn't get what she wanted. "That stone that we gave you is from this mountain!" She pointed at the ground. "Which means that after the right incantations, it will bring him here! But of course, you had to be your usual stupid self, so everything went wrong!"

Her chest was rising up and down, and Goyle was just looking at her. _What a scary bitch, he thought to himself_. "So you must've gotten the wrong stone! Where did it come from?"

Goyle's brain was on the verge of explosion. _I think I know where_.

*          *          *

Draco's eyes slowly opened as his head was throbbing painfully. He was lying on a pavement, and his back was aching. He must have fallen. Last thing he remembered, He was still inside his club. Then there was darkness, like going through the void. And then he was here. He didn't know how he got there, and he had no idea to what has just happened. He looked over to his other side, and saw that Hermione was getting up as well. 

"Ow…" She winced slightly as she held her hand on her head. 

"Are you okay?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" She said, still dizzy from the fall_. What the hell just happened?_ Her head turned up, expecting to see the starry night. "Oh my god…" she gasped as she stared at the huge sign above her.

Draco curiously followed her direction and looked up as well. "So we're back to where we came from…" 

A huge sign full of fluorescent lights shone down on them: COVENCRAFT: HOGWARTS NIGHT.

TBC

So sorry nothing much happened here… Just thought I'd make the story a bit more complicated. How'd you like the twist? Mwahahahhahaha!!!!

Please review! I'm dying to know what you think! Thank you thank you thank you thank you!


	5. Breathless

Chapter 5

Breathless

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling… blahblahblah…Hope you like it! Please review! Thank you so much again! Take care…

Draco Malfoy slowly stood up to his feet, and got up to help Hermione stand. His head was ringing so loudly and his veins around his skull were thumping uncontrollably. His hair, which was once slicked back, had fallen gracefully over his eyes. She was shaking, but she managed to lean onto his strong arms for support. 

He was confused. Everywhere around them, night posts were glowing with their little lights. The street was deserted, and all of the shops of Hogsmeade had a sign that said CLOSED, although each varied in shapes and sizes. The pavement was free from the feet of witches and warlocks who did their daily shopping for bat's eyes and newt's skin. The sky showed that it was nighttime, with the stars snickering at their puzzlement. Most of all, there were no more sounds coming from Covencraft, no more students clad in muggle clothes and teachers dancing the night away. 

"What is going on here?" Hermione repeated the same question again. She let go Draco's arms as she stepped carefully towards the club's massive doors, which was closed with a heavy padlock. "Where are all the people?"

Draco ran his fingers through his hair. "I have no idea." He glanced at his watch on his left wrist and looked at the time. The circular glass had a little clock, but it still showed Draco what he needed to see. "Damn…" he muttered. Three o'clock. "We must have gone though time." _Okay that sounded crazy, _he thought to himself.

"What?" Hermione spun around to look at him, her hair turning twirling along with her. "You mean we're back in time?"

"No, it's 3 a.m. Must've gone four hours in the future." 

"But how is that possible?" She was biting her lip, thinking of a rational explanation for all of this. _Okay, Granger, you can't go through time without a Time Turner... Drugs? Some of the drinks might be rigged with some Ecstasy or something, this might all be a hallucination_… 

"If you're thinking I put some Hallucino-Potion just so I can be with you, don't start." Draco shook his head as he put his hands inside his pockets. "What the—" He muttered as he took out something that touched his fingers inside his trench coat. Hermione frowned and came over to him, curious to see what he was holding.

He slowly opened his palm and Hermione noticed that his nails were manicured perfectly. Soon, a little stone appeared on Draco's hand. It was a simple stone, which looked just like any irrelevant stone anyone would step on, trip on or ignore. There was nothing special to it.

"A rock?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Weird," Draco said under his breath.

Hermione looked at him in disbelief. "Draco, it's a stupid rock!" She hugged herself. The cold night air was beginning to get to her and her jacket was inside the club, and she couldn't help shivering. "Just throw it away." She needed some answers, not a filthy pebble.

"No, you don't understand…" Draco held up the stone to look at it more closely. "The Malfoy Wardrobe is always perfect. It's charmed with a spell so that nothing will make the clothes look bad. No loose threads, no creases or folds, not even rocks like this little guy…" He smirked. "I even checked it myself in the mirror before I left. My clothes are supposed to be flawless… Free from anything."

"The Malfoy Wardrobe?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "You guys are so vain."

"Well, us Malfoys have to look good."

_And you're doing a fine job at it_. "So it's supposed to be perfect until you wear it. Big deal." Hermione shrugged. "You must have found this rock interesting and put it in your pocket. You must've forgotten about it."

Draco shook his head and pounded his finger gently on Hermione's forehead. "Honestly Granger. I thought you had a little bit of something in there…" He smiled at her, and Hermione once again found her knees weak. 

"The only stones I'm interested at are diamonds, gems and rubies." He held up the stone for Hermione to have a closer look at it. "This one doesn't look like it costs a knut."

Hermione laughed softly at this. She took the stone from Draco as her fingers slightly brushed his. "Okay. Fine. I get your point. So how did it get here?"

Draco frowned as his thoughts came back to what had happened earlier that night. Immediately after classes ended he changed into his black attire, and went to Hogsmeade to supervise the opening of the club. After that, students came in groups, giggling and shouting and yelling. People were dancing around, he was entertaining the teachers… Went down the stairs…. Bumped into Goyle… _Wait a minute_… _Bumped_…

"God damn it!" Draco yelled as he punched the massive doors of his club with his fists. "It was Goyle!"

"Whoa... Whoa… Hey, calm down!" Hermione said. She jumped when Draco's fist banged against the wooden surface of the door. Hermione went to him and held him back. "Are you sure about that?"

Draco tried to calm down. "He bumped into me while I was going down the stairs, before I danced with you. And I was so thick; I didn't even feel his hand inside my pockets. He must have put the stone here." He shook his head and chuckled to himself. "I should have known. His family's expertise is theft. They mastered the art of all of it. Stupid. Stupid."

"So you're saying that this stone had something to do with us getting stuck in limbo?" Hermione didn't know where he was getting at. 

"Yes!" he exclaimed. "But knowing Goyle, something must have gone wrong. I mean, do you seriously think that all he wanted to do was to get us outside the club? There's more to that I bet."

"But why would he do that to you? You're his friend, right?" 

"Hermione, us three are not like you and Potter and Weasley." Draco glared at her eyes. "We don't save each other's lives and do things for one another. There's no friendship there." He looked up at the sky. "I don't know what it's called, but it's not something real."

Hermione looked down at her leather sandals. Was he actually jealous of what she has with Harry and Ron? She knew what they had, at least, is something real. She didn't realize how much others would have wanted the same thing, especially a Malfoy. But she didn't want to talk about that.

"I believe you." Hermione slowly nodded, adding all the logic of the story. "Now I just can't help thinking what would happen to us if we were sent to the right place…"

Draco stood stiffly in front of her. "I know."

They were silent for a while, contemplating on the danger that was slowly coming towards them. The night was still dark, and the moon was low above them. "So what are we going to do now?" 

Draco took a deep breath and let it all out. "First we need some sleep." He stepped forward and pushed Hermione gently to the side. He took out his wand and pointed at the huge padlock of his club. "Alohomora," he said softly. 

Immediately the lock came free. He pushed the doors open, and it creaked loudly. He looked back at Hermione. "Coming?"

**********

Hermione couldn't believe it. The room was huge. There was a big canopy bed at the center, with its black covers falling to the floor. There was a vanity table in front of it and a huge green sofa was found at the other side of the room. There was a door at the back, probably leading to the bathroom. Over at the other side, a fireplace was crackling softly, sending eerie shadows on the wall. The rug was a deep shade of emerald and Hermione submitted herself to its comfort by kicking off her sandals. Its wool comforted her tired toes. 

_The Ultimate Bachelor's Flat_, she thought to herself. "Building a room in your club is a very clever idea," she said to Draco. "I don't even want to know why."

He snickered. "Then I won't tell," he said. The only reason why he built this is for the sole purpose of a hang over. He wanted a sanctuary of his own. Clearly, Hermione's mind was telling her something else. He didn't know it was naughty. 

"You can sleep on the bed," he told her as he took off his coat. "I'm going to sleep on the couch."

Hermione could see the muscles rippling through his black jumper. They were all alone, the two of them, inside the room of the century. It was impossible for something not to happen. _Get a grip, Granger_, she told herself. She climbed up the bed which happened to be very comfortable, with its silky green covers and pillows. _And it's springy, too_. She lied down and eased herself on the bed, all the while looking at Draco.

He had taken off his leather shoes and his black socks. He was now unbuckling his belt. There were silver linings on it and Hermione watched as it snaked around Draco's waist and out to his hand, then he threw somewhere on the floor. The fire had cast shadows on his face, but his eyes stood out like two miniature moons. She could tell that he was tired. Her eyes kept on looking as Draco lay on the plush material of the couch and closed his eyes. Hermione smiled to herself. It was a different feeling to see Draco asleep. Like an angel in a demon's clothes. But no sooner had he lied down when he started twisting and turning in his bed. His eyes fluttered open as he was looking for a comfortable position to sleep. Hermione bit her lip. "Hey Malfoy. Are you sure it's alright with you that I'm sleeping in the bed?" she asked one more time.

Draco twisted his head to look at her. He couldn't believe what he saw. That wasn't Hermione Granger on the bed. It was a goddess. She was lying on her side, facing him, with her brown curls flowing down her shoulder. Her long toned legs were visible and were barely covered by the green blanket of the bed. 

"Draco?"

"Huh?" He was momentarily lost in his world. "Yeah, It's alright. It's just my first time sleeping on a couch."

Hermione sat up from the bed. "You mean to tell me you haven't slept in a sofa before?"

Draco shook his head. "It's so freakin' small,"

Hermione looked in disbelieve. "What are you talking about? It's huge."

"No, it ain't. It's like I'm trapped here, there's no room."

"Well, quit complaining. I'm sleeping on the couch this time." She grabbed the softest pillow and started to get up from the bed.

"Don't!" Draco exclaimed. "Women should always sleep on the bed. I wasn't complaining."

Hermione looked at him. "Yes you were. You were worried about spoiling your spoiled little rich ass on the couch." She walked towards him and pointed at the bed with her thumb. "You can have the bed, Your Highness."

Draco groaned. He never did get women and their minds. "I'm a gentleman, okay!" He stayed glued to the bed. "I am not moving here. I'm doing this for you!"

"Oh, quit the act, Malfoy. It's not you."

"But I'm a gentleman!"

"Move it!"

"I'm a gentleman!"

"MOVE IT!"

"FINE!" Draco suddenly got up and carried Hermione in his arms and threw her over his shoulder. He carried her like a saddle of rice. "What the—Put me down Malfoy! This is crazy!" Draco made it to the bed and threw Hermione there. He pointed his finger at her. "You're sleeping on the bed whether you like it or not! I can't believe we had this kind of conversation. This is pathetic! I'm going to sleep!" He turned around and walked to his couch. He collapsed on it. "Good night Granger." Then he turned his back on her. 

She glared at his back. Unbelievable. "Good night Malfoy."

**********

Gregory Goyle continued to look at Phoenix's big mouth as she continued to lecture her about having the right state of mind. It was amazing how much she looked like his brother. The same delicate elegant features on the face, the same silver blonde hair that hung softly on their head. Goyle couldn't take it. They were too perfect. Even the way they had called him. "…stupid git!… fuckin' prick…" Just like brothers and sisters. 

"So what do you think is gonna happen now, huh? Stupid boy." Phoenix spat at him. "Voldemort's reign with Draco is going to be delayed, and it will be all your fault!"

Goyle looked down on her. "You've raised the Lord Voldemort already?"

Phoenix sighed loudly. "Not yet." Her fingers absently twirled around a silver chain on her neck. There was a small green bottle with a tiny cork on it. "His soul is still here. But once Draco is here, everything will fall into place and he will be fully regenerated."

Goyle grew confused. "Wait a minute. But I thought you wanted to _kill_ Draco?"

Phoenix raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Who says I won't?"

Goyle pointed at the other people who were complete strangers to him. "I heard them talking that you needed Draco to rule side by side with Voldemort. That he will bring back what is rightfully yours, eliminate the inferior races and all that shit? I heard it all."

Phoenix sighed once more. "Why do I have to explain everything to you?" She knew she was going to be misunderstood in a lot of concepts. "During the summer season I was reading my tarot cards. I asked a lot of questions about myself, and I was satisfied with all the answers that I got. Then I asked about my brother, something I haven't done in a long time. That's when I realized that there was a lot in store for my little Draco. He was indeed going to rule this world and his, but he wasn't going to be on our side. And I hated at what was going to happen. A little time after that, I got a calling from Voldemort, when he was still alive."

Goyle nodded slightly at this. He got a calling from Voldemort too, as well as Crabbe. But he had chickened out in the middle of it. 

Phoenix grinned, as if reading his mind, and continued. "You were there too. We all met at this same mountain. He told us that he knew he was going to lose the war he was fighting. He had met with a Seer, and he knew he was going to die, so he needed our help. He was also aware of the sudden twist in Draco's path in life. How he would fight against the Lord Voldemort, rather than with him. Betrayal. The Seer had told him that he was going to benefit from Draco's blood."

"And so he asked us to revive him after he died," Goyle interrupted, suddenly realizing Phoenix's intentions. "Not using necromancy, but using your way. The New Aged Muggle Way. This was going to be a stronger necromancy. By using Draco's blood, Voldemort will inherit Draco's fate, and so he will rule our world and the mudblood's world… _He will rule with Draco's blood flowing though his veins_…"

Phoenix smiled and patted Goyle on the head. "I'm glad you're finally getting this." She looked at him with her gray eyes, as though she could read his innermost thoughts. "I did always wonder why Voldemort chose you. I mean, it was clear in my life. I wanted revenge. But you, on the other hand… You're jealous of my brother, are you? Always getting everything he wants… You, staying on the background while Draco shone to everyone…" She smirked at the sudden change in Goyle's face. "Does it have something to do with this Hermione Granger?"

Goyle suddenly twisted around and turned his back on her. Everything Phoenix had said about his hatred for Draco was true. He was so sick of Malfoy. But he also knew that Draco had a hidden desire for Hermione, something he had too. He, Gregory Goyle, was in love with Hermione Ganger. But he knew that Granger was in love with Potter. That was why he had always asked Phoenix for a bottle of her Mirror Potion. It gave him the chance to look like Potter for a couple of hours, a chance to feel Hermione in his arms. He was surprised when Potter had said something about… what was it… A Polyjuice potion. Well whatever it is, this muggle magic was much better. 

Phoenix saw revulsion rising up to Goyle's head. "Whatever grudge you're holding against my brother, don't worry. I'll kill him for you."

"No." Goyle said, shaking his overly large head. He had a much better plan. "I'll kill him myself."

***********

"Draco! Wake up!"

Malfoy's eyes immediately flickered open, just as soon as Hermione threw a cup of water on his face. His face was drenched in water and his head was aggressively throbbing with pain.  

"Oh, God, I thought you were never going to wake up," Hermione sighed with relief. "Are you okay?" 

"What the hell were you thinking?" He screamed at her. Slowly he sat straight on the couch, with Hermione's help. He could see that her eyes were filled with concern as she helped him set his back on the comfort of the soft material of the sofa. His head was being tortured. "I woke up coz you were talking in your sleep… You were violently twisting around the couch, it's a miracle you hadn't fallen on the floor. I heard you say something like 'blood flowing through his veins'… That's when I got up and tried to shake you awake, but you wouldn't budge. That's why I took a cup of water from the bathroom and threw in on your face…" she grinned sheepishly at the last part. 

Malfoy cringed his nose. Water was still inside it. He tried to make the pain in his head go away by shutting his eyes, but it didn't. The moment he opened them, it was still there. "Well do me a favor next time and try not to wake me up, okay?" He said sarcastically to her. Then he saw it coming. He blocked Hermione's hand just as it was about to land on Draco's cheek once more. He didn't want to get slapped again by Hermione's self-defense. He's had enough of it. He spoke before Hermione's mouth started to open. "Look. I'm sorry. I take it back… Thank you for waking me up."

Hermione's eyes softened at this as she slowly took her hand back from him. This sliding motion caused her to be in a little mind imbalance, while the nerves on her hand were protesting. _We want more Draco's nerves_, they seemed to say. She ran the fingers of her other hand instead through his hair, to keep if from falling to his eyes. It was so silky between her digits, each strand flowed through her like water. "Would you like to tell me about it?" she smiled comfortingly at him. "I'm good with dreams, you know."

Draco was a bit surprised at the feel of Hermione's touch, but he didn't want to show it. He looked at the eyes of the object of his affection, and it glowed with trust. "Can you keep a secret?" he finally asked. Hermione only nodded. Draco took a deep breath.

"Did you know that I had a twin sister once?" he looked straight to Hermione's eyes, expecting her to gasp or squeal with surprise. Instead, her eyes closely shut for a while. A dozen questions arose in her mind, but she wanted Draco to continue telling the story. 

"I did. We used to do everything together. We used to play in the vast lands of the manor, and we shared a room. We were inseparable, just like any normal brothers or sisters. Except maybe for the fact that each of our toys were very expensive, and we lived like little rich snobs." Draco smiled to himself, as the past revealed itself to him. He continued telling his story, looking straight at the fireplace. 

"Ten years ago, we were both seven, that's when my dad found out. She was a squib. And my father didn't like it at all." Draco gritted his teeth as he remembered it well. "He said that being a squib was as filthy as being a mudblood, and so he decided to send her away. My mother begged him not to do it, but he didn't listen to her. One time I saw my mother with a big purple bruise on her right eye, crying to herself. My father had hit her. Again. Because she wasn't being the perfect wife that she had to be, the perfect wife who obeyed his every word. The following day, my sister was gone. I hadn't seen her since. I had heard from my mother that my sister was adopted by a muggle family. Took her to school and all that. My room was rearranged to fit one person. My father taught me everything I needed to know about being the best Malfoy… I guess he was ashamed of conceiving a squib in the family, so he tried to make me the perfect son. Rules, disciplinary acts, borderlines… these were daily routines in the Malfoy Manor." He paused for a while. His eyes laid rest on Hermione, who seemed to listen to every word he said. She didn't ask any questions yet, but was trying to hear everything Draco wanted to say. "But having a twin sister meant that we were still connected even though we're miles apart. I see her in my sleep sometimes. Now, more than ever." He turned to look at Hermione completely. "I can see what's on her mind. She's bad news. She wants revenge. She does know how to do magic, but not our way. It's stronger than ours. She has an alliance with Goyle and Voldemort." He drew his breath, ready to end his story. "She wants to kill me."

Hermione sat there beside him, silently for a while. Then a voice of hope filled the room. "You've got nothing to be scared of. Voldemort's dead, remember?"

"No," Draco said slowly, biting at his own words. "I think she's going to bring him back to life."

"Is there going to be a war again?"

"Most probably…"

"Is it going to be worse?"

"I don't know yet."

Silence. "Does you sister have a name?"

"Yes," Draco replied, nodding his head. "Phoenix Malfoy. It used be like that, but I wouldn't know her last name now."

"Right," Hermione said as she slightly cupped Draco's cheek on her hand. "I've read about that stuff. It's called Wicca. We'll know what to do. Don't worry."

Slowly the pain inside Draco's head was beginning to fade as Hermione's hand touched his face. She was so beautiful. Her soft brown curls, her chocolate eyes, it pained his heart to hide all the feelings that he had for Hermione for so many years, trying to deny it, trying not to fall for her. But now she was here with him, everything else in the world could just stop existing. _She was here with him_. Before he knew what he was doing, his lips had come to touch hers and he poured out all his emotions to her. Softly he kissed his lips, trying to memorize ever part of it. Each angle, each line. His tongue deepened the kiss as Hermione welcomed him further inside. He explored every dimension of her mouth, slowly sucking her velvet tongue then running his tongue along her teeth, tasting sweetness everywhere. His hand was holding the back of her neck to support her head, and he could feel her rustic tresses against the back of his hand. He withdrew for a while, wanting to take a look at her. Hermione's eyes had darkened; filled with something Draco wasn't certain yet. He stared at her, asking permission with his eyes. _Please don't tell me to stop_, he thought. Hermione didn't have to say anything. She carefully took off Draco's jumper through his head and laid it down on the floor. His bare chest and well-toned stomach glowed with the little light given off by the fire, and she liked it. Quidditch through the years had paid him back graciously. She took his hand in hers and led him to the other side of the room. Standing by the bed, she kissed him once more.

Draco couldn't take it. He ran his hands up Hermione's body, feeling the curves of her skin. The outline of her breasts, the dive of her waist, and the smooth curve of her hips. His hand had gone up to feel her breast, and he was massaging it in a circular motion. Then he was squeezing it gently. Hermione moaned slightly, but she didn't let him stop. He put his arms around her back, and felt the zigzags of the zipper of her dress. _Gotcha_, he thought. His fingers went to the very top of her dress as he went down and began sucking the skin of her neck, while Hermione's hands had decided to feel the steeliness of his body. He found the zipper, and slowly pulled it down. Hermione gasped a little as a warm yet cold air hit her bare back, sending shivers up her spine. Draco smiled at this as he gradually took her dress in his fingers and let it slide down her body, and drop on the floor. She was wearing nothing but a simple black thong, and a necklace with a heart pendant. 

"What's that?" he asked her, trailing his fingers around it.

"My locket," Hermione suddenly remembered. Harry. Ron. "We have to tell Harry and Ron where we are. They might be worried about me."

"Shhh…" Draco hushed Hermione with a kiss. "You wouldn't want to tell them exactly where we are, do you?" He traced her breast with a single finger, going up and down the cleavage. "Dear Harry and Ron," Malfoy mocked, with pure evil. "I'm with Malfoy right now. Don't worry about me. He's kissing me all over and carrying me to bed. We're going to make love, and it's something that I will never forget."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Draco suddenly kissed her once more. "Shut up now, okay?"

 Her breasts had indeed pleased him very well, and her nipples had erected. Her to the bed, and now he was lying on top of her, his arms supporting his body. He went down to kiss her cheek, then started to nibble at her ear, before trailing wet kisses down her neck, her collar bone until finally his tongue had reached her left breast. He opened his mouth and started to lick the circular shape of it, before finally coming to the nipple. Then he sucked it. Hermione winced slightly as his teeth grazed her nipple, sending a rush of fire inside her. As if feeding his never ending hunger, he moved to other breast, doing the same thing while his other hand squeezed the previous breast. 

It continued to go on like that, as if Malfoy was a thirsty child, trying desperately to quench his thirst. Hermione could feel his stiffness between her legs. He was huge, and she shuffled around to take off his pants. She silently thanked him for taking off his belt a while ago. He helped her get her wish and soon, he was completely naked to her. She gasped as she saw the size of his, which was already engorged. Draco stared at her already soaked panties and slid them off her as well. They were both naked. Hermione felt so hot she tried to raise her hips to meet with Draco's sex, but he held her down.

"Not yet," he growled, and Hermione silently screamed at him. She wanted him inside of her, now. Draco sensed this and smiled to herself. He slowly went down to her body; trailing wet kisses down her stomach. Then he slowly parted her legs wider, and ran his hands between her thighs, feeling her milky skin against his silky hands. He took one finger and probed it deep inside of Hermione, and her back arched with ecstasy. Then he took two, then three. It was probing inside her, exploring the places she had never felt before. He then bent over and placed his tongue on his sex, sucking her dry. His teeth gently nibbled on her clitoris, and Hermione moaned louder at him.

"Draco…"

"Ah, you want that, don't you?" He was so stiff, he didn't know if he was going to be crazy. His tongue continued to lick her sex. "Tell me you want it."

Hermione could hardly speak. Her throat was so dry. "I want you," she managed to croak. 

"Tell me to fuck you…"

"Fuck me Draco…"

"Louder!"

"Fuck me!"

All of a sudden he squeezed his sex inside Hermione's, his stiffness slamming against her walls. He was going in different rhytms, different motions. In and out, circular, fast, slow, deep, hard, gentle. He wanted to drive her crazy. Then he withdrew from her.

Hermione screamed at him. "Please…" she was begging for him. It was making her mad, depriving her of the rapture she was about to get. She raised her hips once more, and he felt the tip of his cock, but he was snickering down at her. "Do you want more?"

"Yes!"

Then there were fireworks. He forced his sex once more on Hermione's pussy, and she was carried to a single rhythm. He was ravishing her, each thrust faster, harder and deeper. Her nails dug into the skin of his back as he rode on her, an animalistic sadist wanting nothing more that satisfaction. She came first, and she was screaming out loud, saying his name over and over again. Her nails dug deeper until she felt Draco's liquids flow through her, and then he collapsed on top of her.

They were both breathless. 

"Wow…" was all Hermione could say.

TBC

  
A/N: Well, I hope I cleared out a little confusion for everyone. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed my work. To the others, please try to review… please… please… by the way, yes, I am a Filipino… hehehehe__


	6. Reunion with the Dementors

A/N: I'm back! Sorry for the long update… school and all that. Anyway, same as always, this chapters contains Wiccan elements, which have been altered to fit the storyline. What I say about Wicca here isn't exactly true… Well, hope you have fun reading… Here it is! More nonsense blabbering below! Take care now!

Chapter 6

Reunion with the Dementors

Hermione's eyes slowly fluttered open. Sunlight had gained access inside the room through the windows and it shined upon her naked body. She was still lying on the bed, one hand on the turquoise pendant which rested on her breast. She had a peaceful sleep, although it was only more or less a couple of hours. No nightmares and no dreams.

"Good morning, angel," A deep voice entered her ears and she smiled. She looked at Draco who had summoned a chair from somewhere and sat himself beside the bed, watching Hermione intently as she awoke from her deep slumber. He was already dressed, and his mouth curved into a smirk. "Finally, you're awake."

Hermione slowly got up and settled herself on Draco's lap, her naked body rubbing against his soft clothes. He brushed her brown locks away and kissed her softly on the neck, which made Hermione cuddle closer to him.

They remained like that for a while, words unexchanged as they held each other in their arms. Finally, Hermione spoke. "We have to get going," she said, and released herself from Draco's arms and started to get her black dress from last night. 

"You're right." Draco nodded, getting up from the chair to help Hermione dress. "We still have to figure out a way to get to my sister and stop her before it's too late." 

"Well, I already have an idea," Hermione said. She grabbed hold of her hair and held it up while Draco was slowly zipping up her black dress. "We're gonna need Harry and Ron's help."

The zipper stopped midway on Hermione's body. She looked up to see Draco looking at her with an eyebrow raised. "I don't need Potthead and Weasel's help. I don't need anything from them."

Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "Why do you think it's always about you?" she asked as she zipped herself up. She walked on the other side of the room where her shoes were and started putting them on. "This is far beyond the fights we've always had with each other. The whole Wizarding world is at stake unless we make amends!"

Draco shook his head in disbelief. There was no way he was going to tell the Dynamic Duo any of his secrets. And the thought of them working together! _This is all Hermione's fault… If she hadn't been so damned beautiful and smart and funny…_

His thoughts ceased as Hermione went up to him fully dressed. She stood on her toes and planted a soft kiss on Draco's lips. "Come on, Draco, for me?" she said, filling his ears with the sweetest voice he's ever heard. "Please?"

Draco looked at her puppy eyes and the pouting mouth. He gave up. "If I find out you put a spell on me to make me so crazy about you, you're dead." He told her as a smile escaped from Hermione's lips.

*          *          *          

Ron awoke from his bed, a mass of sheets and pillows tangled in his legs. It was still pretty early, but the sun was up. He had a feeling he was the first one to rise in Gryffindor. They probably still had their hang over. He slipped on his slippers and decided to take a brisk cold shower to make him fully awake. Besides, he couldn't go back to sleep anyway. He had entered the Gryffindor common room when he was startled to see Harry, still in his flannel pants with big dark circles around both of his eyes, which were wide open.

Ron took a few steps back. "Jesus, Harry, you look like shit."

Harry turned around to look at his friend. "I thought you were just gonna change?"

Ron blinked. He forgot about that. A few hours ago, after Goyle's dramatic exit and a bunch of unanswered questions, Ron had told Harry that he was just going to change to his pajamas, but he was too damned tired. "Oh. Sorry… I kinda fell asleep."

"It's okay. I took guard while you were sleeping. She still hasn't come back yet."

_You took guard the whole night_, Ron thought as he looked at his poor friend. Harry looked like he hadn't changed his position. He was still sitting on the couch, arms relaxing upon the armrest, although they must have grown numb already. His eyes were fixated on the doors of the Common Room. It was as if nothing was stopping him from being that way even if a Hungarian Horntail managed to fit itself inside the Gryffindor Dormitories.

But then he slowly stood up. The door of the Gryffindor Tower creaked open, revealing Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy staring right back at them, who were both still wearing the same clothes from last night. Hermione immediately ran to fling her arms around Ron's neck while Draco simply smirked as he caught sight of Harry. "Jesus, Potter, you look like shit."

Harry fully got up and shoved Malfoy hard in the chest and the Ferret Boy lost his balance. "You shut the fuck up, asshole!" He didn't understand it. His pride had sunk the moment he saw Hermione and Malfoy together, holding hands outside the common room. He went up to Hermione and forcefully grabbed her wrists.

"Ow! Harry!"

"Where were you last night?" Harry asked, voice filled with anger and jealousy. "Where were you?" he repeated louder this time.

"I-I was with Draco…" Hermione slightly winced in pain. "Please, let me explain—"

"And you didn't even bother to owl us?" Harry shook Hermione violently, and she whimpered. Tears were welling up in her eyes, but for the first time, he felt no sympathy towards her. "We were worried sick about you!"

"Harry, what the hell's gotten into you?" Ron was alarmed at the sudden change of his best friend.

"Did you know I freakin' waited for you the whole night?" He continued to grip Hermione tighter than ever, blocking the blood from going in her hands. Hermione swore there were bruises already.

"Harry, you're hurting me!" she cried out, just in time for Malfoy to regain his balance and pushed Potter to the wall. His arms pinned Harry on his bare chest. Ron had caught Hermione and was comforting her while each boy glared at each other, gray versus green.  "You touch Hermione like that again, I swear I'm going to kill you," Draco threatened.

"Who the hell do you think you are, talking like that," Harry spat at him. "She's not yours."

"And neither is she yours," Draco returned, gritting his teeth. 

"Break it up, you two!" Ron suddenly pushed himself between his enemy and his friend. He was towering above them both, and he was trying to hold them back. "Hermione has something to say, alright? Harry, you know I want to punch Draco in the nose as much as you do, but now is not the right time. So you guys, just cool it." He let go of them both when their hearts began to beat normally again. 

When Ron had released him, all the realizations flooded into Harry's mind. He was still panting heavily. From the edge of his eyes he could see Hermione trembling. What has he done to her? He turned around and stepped towards her. "Hermione… I…" Harry began. He couldn't believe at himself for acting like such a bastard. _This isn't me_, he thought.

"I-I-It's okay, Harry, you don't have to." Hermione brushed a tear from her cheek and smiled at her friend. She was slightly shaking, but she reached out to hug him, despite the pain on her wrists. Harry had never felt so guilty before. "I understand. Friends?"

He gently pulled away from her and kissed her on the forehead. "Friends." 

Draco observed all this with his eyes clouding with hatred. The four of them sat down on the biggest couch with Draco and Harry on either end.

After rubbing her wrists gingerly, Hermione began her story, from the beginning when Goyle had put the charmed stone inside Malfoy's robes and how he had mistakenly brought them back to Covencraft instead of somewhere else. She also told them of Draco's sister, Phoenix, and her evil plots during which Draco kept silent. Both Harry and Ron nodded their heads at the right times, and asked questions that were important, not insignificant. Draco observed the Golden Trio, realizing this was how they looked like when they were on the verge of solving on of Hogwarts' mysteries. It was after this that Ron began telling their encounter with Goyle, how he had disguised himself to look like Harry and how he had vanished right in front of their noses. After Hermione's sudden screech at the revelation, they were silent, putting together the pieces of the puzzle. It was extremely quiet and you could practically hear the wheels inside their foreheads turning. One by one, the lightbulbs over each of their heads turned on.

"So Malfoy has an evil twin…" Ron.

"Who's gonna gill him and raise Voldemort from the dead…" Hermione.

"Crabbe and Phoenix are working together…" Draco.

"And probably trigger another war…" Harry.

"So we've got to stop it before it's too late!" Hermione exclaimed, jumping up from the couch.

All three boys looked up at her. "And how are we supposed to do that?" Harry asked her.

Her eyes twinkled and she gasped. "Dumbledore…" _(A/N: sort of like Elle Woods' "… a law student…" in Legally Blonde… hehe)_

"Wait a minute." Ron said, holding his palms up. "Are you telling saying we're gonna risk our asses to get to Azkaban?"

"Whoa! Wait a second." Draco raised his voice. "Dumbledore's in Azkaban?"

"He got in there because he killed Voldemort and fired an Unforgivable to another wizard. Some stupid law by that Cornelius Fudge son a bitch." Harry explained, not really answering Draco but talking to himself.

"Well, yeah!" Hermione couldn't believe it. Another adventure. "Dumbledore's quarters have no dementors, right?"

"But Hermione, you're just talking about Dumbledore's place." Harry argued. "Everywhere else, it's filled with those life sucking bastards."

"Yeah! Children under eighteen are not aloud to enter, plus, we don't know where it is!" Ron agreed.

"I do," Draco pointed out, showing no traces of emotions in his face. Children under eighteen were allowed, as long as another guardian was there, and it was a one to one ratio. He had less that frequently visited his father with his most trustworthy butler, Grendlow, , mostly for business matters, and Merlin knows what state he had to go through everytime he was inside Azkaban.

Hermione turned to give her a comforting smile. "So that's it then. We're going to Dumbledore for help, and see what happens next!"

"Ooh…" Ron teased, playfully tugging Hermione's hair. "Our dear sweet Hermione's breaking school rules again…  I wonder how long this transformation's going to last?"

She hit him in the head. "Not long, I promise you. We're just going to change, get everything we need, and meet you out on the Quidditch Field—"

"I'm not coming." A dead voice interrupted Hermione.

Both of his friends sharply turned their head around. "What?" Ron and Hermione exclaimed, not sure if they heard right. Draco eyes quickly moved to look at Harry. _This should be interesting._

"I said I'm not coming." Harry rose from the couch and walked up to the other side of the room. "I'm not going to save the world with you this time… Especially with him around," he was referring to Draco, who was smirking at him. He feigned a reassuring wink at his best friend. "I'm sure you'll do fine without me."

"Harry, come off it!" Ron was beginning to get annoyed by his best friends' immature antics. Harry Potter isn't supposed to be like this. "We can't do this without you!"

"Don't be stupid." Harry replied, nodding his head towards Malfoy. "I'm sure he's got your back covered."

"You're overreacting, Pothead!" Draco rolled his eyes at him. "Don't get so dramatic with us. Do you want us to beg you to grace us with your presence and bravery all the time?"

"Be quiet Draco!" Hermione hissed, nudging Draco in the ribs. She turned to look at Harry straight in the eyes. "Harry, come on, we need you." She tried to read is expression, trying to find any clue as to what was going on to her friend. 

But Harry knows a thing or two about acting. About hiding his feelings. _Now she's calling him Draco,_ he thought. "No you don't," he told Hermione, and looked at them for the last time. "I just can't." _Bear to see you with him_, he finished to himself, before disappearing to the comforts of the boys' dormitories.

The three of them were left open-mouthed. While they stood there, disbelieving what had just happened, they didn't notice a wild haired Gryffindor with glasses bigger than her head furiously scribbling on her parchment, trying to listen to every word they said…

*          *          *          

After an incredibly fast shower and the hastiest packing anyone has ever done, Hermione went down the Quidditch field, surprised to see Draco and Ron not talking each other. Both were wearing simple jeans, with Ron sporting a white shirt. Draco went for dark jeans and a black Armani. They each carried their bags on their backs, with Draco holding his Polaris S Type and Ron, his Nimbus 2000. (He had gotten it on sale after six years and bought it with all the money has saved.)

Hermione grinned at them. "Glad to see you're not insulting each other's asses."

Draco smirked at her. _That's because you just missed it, _Draco thought. Around twenty minutes ago, Draco had walked up to Weasley when the fire-haired boy asked irritably why he needed to put gel in his hair everyday. "You already look ugly either way," Ron had said. Draco retorted by saying that he was just jealous that he looked prettier than him, which resulted to a brief throw off of different insults and condescending words, filled with such rich imagination. They had shut up the moment they saw Hermione's figure emerge on the field.

She was breathtaking. She too was wearing jeans which was low waist with sneakers, but she was wearing a red spaghetti tank top. Her hair hung loosely on her back and she was a casual goddess.

"Is Harry going to come with us?" She asked both of them. She didn't really want to leave without him.

Draco shrugged while Ron spoke. "I think his mind's pretty made up."

"Well, why don't we stay a bit longer?" Hermione offered. "We could wait for him."

"You know we're just going to waste our time," Draco replied, patting her hair. If truth be told he really didn't want Potter to be there. He didn't understand why Hermione was making such a fuss about it. He could save her. He could be her hero if she wanted to. "If Potter doesn't want to come, then let him."

She craned her neck to look at the high windows of the Gryffindor Tower and sighed. Somewhere inside, Harry was contemplating on his actions. Maybe Draco was right. _It's his decision after all_, she thought. 

"So you're sure you know the way to Azkaban," Ron looked at Malfoy.

"Yes, Weasley, just as I had said for the hundredth time," Draco replied, mounting on his broomstick. The Polaris glistened with the newly polished stalk. "Fly northward of here then when we get close to Lake Maleficas we turn left. It's pretty easy, just follow me."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "Lake Maleficas?"

Draco imaginarily slapped him in the face. "The lake that looks like the horns of a bull? Hello?" Any pureblooded wizard should know about, even for ones at the bottom of the class chain. 

"Oh, that lake," Ron replied, smiling to himself. "My brothers call it the Lake Bitch."

It was Draco's turn to raise his eyebrow.

"Well, coz it looked more like a woman's uterus!" Ron explained, before falling into fits of laughter. Even Hermione was stifling a giggle.

Draco's facial expression was blank. "Wow. You're so funny Weasley. You crack me up. Honestly."

He pushed his feet on the ground and immediately he was above the earth, succumbing to the broom's offer of release. After wiping away a tear of joy, Ron followed suit. Both boys were gliding in the air, with Draco's grace and Ron's swiftness, with the ground below them gone unnoticed. Each boy was in his own world when Hermione cleared her throat.

"Ahem."

Both boys stopped in mid-air, opened their eyes and looked down, where Hermione had put her hands on her hips and was tapping her left foot like crazy. "I can't fly, remember?" 

Ron stared at his friend. "Don't be silly Hermione," he said. "No one can."

"I meant on broom," she said flatly.

Draco chuckled softly and smirked at Hermione before tilting his broom lower. He hovered about the ground low enough for Hermione to climb aboard. "Come on," he said, and helped her as she threw her leg on the other side and sat in front of Draco. "Now relax…" he said softly as he gently pushed Hermione to lean on her back on Draco's chest. "And let me do the rest…" She shrieked a little as they soared once more in the air.

*          *          *

Gregory Goyle had been avoiding Gryffindor Tower all day long. The meeting with Phoenix last night ended longer than he had expected. Luckily, she had enough kindness in her heart to transport Goyle back to the Slytherin Dungeons, right inside his room with Malfoy and Crabbe, although the rich stuck-up blonde prick was nowhere to be found. He had enjoyed a good couple of hours of sleep when his hunger kicked in and decided to go upstairs and eat some English muffins up at the Great Hall. Crabbe was still snoring wretchedly in his sleep.

He walked briskly, once in a while looking at his back to check if anyone of the Golden Trio was sneaking up behind him and strangle him to death. He ignored the little first years who eyed him cautiously, and kept a great distance from him. He reached his destination, which was usually packed with students from all four houses and ran for the Slytherin Table. He was surprised to see a copy of the Hogwarts Forum on his place with the most dreaded picture on the front page.

GRYFFINDOR THREE & SLYHTERIN TRY TO SAVE THE WORLD… BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE AND WE ALL DIE! By: Magda Skeeter.

Goyle stared at the four moving figures, which were walking around what seemed to be the Gryffindor Common Room, closing and opening their mouths in argument. He didn't need to see the rest of the article to know what was going on. All he needed to do was to look at the word AZKABAN in the first sentence before cautiously lifting his head to look at the Gryffindor side of the Hall. His goddess wasn't there, Poorman Weasley wasn't there as well, and the Amazing Scarhead was gone. He had heard a rumor last time that the old man Dumbledore was sent in that prison, but he didn't know it was true.

"Well, it's all thanks to my glasses, you see," He heard Skeeter's croaky voice somewhere. "It doubles as a camera. Too bad my ears aren't well. I just heard enough to finish the story. Everything else is made up."

"No, no no! It's impossible!" Pansy. "Draco, with that Granger filth… WAAAHH!!"

Goyle's head was spinning in circles. _They found out. They've gone to Dumbledore for help. I've got to do something. But what? I know… I'll talk to Phoenix! That's right! I've got to tell Phoenix, tell her what happened… I've got to… got to… to…_But Goyle's mind ceased to work as the fresh aroma of the breakfast table entered his nose, filling his stomach, and making him weak and vulnerable. _Well, maybe after a dozen pancakes first… and a pound of bacon, at least…_

*          *          *          

Hermione was in cloud nine. She was wrapped around a silver haired fallen angel, and they were a thousand feet in the air. Hermione had never known such freedom and liberty in all her life. The warm cold air pierced her skin gently, and her hair blew in the wind (much to Draco's annoyance. He couldn't see because it kept hitting him in the face.) A little while back, Ron and Draco had resorted to yet another egotistic-testosterone contest to see who was the better flyer. Ron had gained much of the advantage until Draco pulled off a neat somersault, followed by a swift drop and another 360 degrees in the air. It had looked pretty darn wicked but unfortunately, Hermione, who was new with flying, was there too. So after her disgraceful event of 'discarding her undigested food' a hundred feet above England (of which they had sworn their soul not tell anyone except Harry when they got back), they had turned quiet and civil again.

Both boys were flying side by side when Ron suddenly pointed at a huge lake beneath them, sparkling like a thousand diamonds floated on it. "Hey! I can see the Uterus already!"

Hermione looked down on it, not realizing her grip had tightened on Draco's arm which was wrapped around her. "It's big…" _And probably deep_, she thought. She didn't want to fall down there.

"It's a bull Weasley," Draco called out to Ron, who was flying a little ahead of them. "It's a fuckin' bull."

Ron laughed, seeing Malfoy's annoyance. "Whatever. We must be getting closer, right?"

"Duh," Draco muttered under his breath. "Just follow me and fly low." 

"Why?" Ron asked. "There are trees down there, we could get hurt!"

"Well go ahead then, if you want the Dementors to spot you with their telescopic windows. I'm flyin' low." Draco replied.

He held Hermione tighter in the waist as he plummeted down into the thick forest which surrounded the lake. Weasley was behind him, following his every move. It was a lot darker, since the sun's light could not penetrate through the thick branches which seem to connect the trees, making them one. Malfoy avoided them with such precision and accuracy Hermione wondered why he kept loosing to Harry in Quidditch. Ron on the other hand had made the mistake of tailing him. He wasn't as graceful as Draco, and he kept getting hit by the twigs. "Ow… Ow! Damnit… Shit… Fuck! Aurgh…"

"Tell me again why we need to go through this and not just fly above." Hermione called out to Draco amidst Ron's shouts.

Draco whispered in her ear, his hot breath tickling Hermione. "Oh, no reason. I made up those telescoping windows. Just wanted to torture the poor Weasel."

She rolled her eyes. These two boys were hopeless. Hermione's heart was beating rapidly. This was it. No turning back now. Hopefully, Dumbledore will know what to do about their dilemma, assuming they can get past the dementor's kiss. _So in short we're dead_, Hermione thought to herself.

Almost immediately a dark castle appeared through the clearing of the forest. Despite the sun's radiance, the castle stood out, as if a huge forcefield was blocking out the rays, as if one touch on the castle wall was enough to make it crumble to the ground. Dark clouds were forming above it, and a huge gate was engraved with the words AZKABAN PRISON in big brass letters. Somewhere inside, someone was screaming an unearthly scream.

"Well, here we are, folks," Draco said, slowly halting his Polaris in mid air. They were situated a few hundred feet away from it. "Azkaban."

Hermione looked up at the old castle, fear reaching the back of her neck. Ron, who hovered beside them with little scratches on his arms took a deep breath. "How are we going to find Dumbledore here?"

Draco had been waiting for that question. "We go around it," he said, eyes not letting go of the prison. "I heard something about "an extra room" at the other side of the prison last time I visited my… _father_. But we have to fly high this time. Dementors can't fly, but their ears and their minds are pretty strong. They can sense happiness immediately, especially here when we're surround by fear and sorrow. I've read about it in Azkaban: A History."

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrow at Draco. "Really?" She eyed him suspiciously.

Draco sneered at her, reading her mind. "Really."  He paused, brushing his hair away from his eyes, which was fallen once more. "Guess we'll have to get rid of our Happy Thoughts for a while."

Hermione's mouth spread into a thin smile as Draco's words registered in her brain. "You're absolutely right!" She said and suddenly made a gesture to her fire-haired friend. "Ron, come close… Here… right there… Okay… Hold on a sec…"

"Hermione? What the—"

"Trust me… there…"

"Ow! Not there… Wait… What the…"

"Whoops… got it... there... Ah… Got it!" Hermione breathed triumphantly. With as much effort as she can, she managed to ride on Ron's Nimbus 2000 alone, while her friend and Draco shared on his Polaris. She could clearly see that no Happy Thoughts were inside the boys' head. She made Ron reach out to have a better hold of his broom, to guide Hermione to fly. 

"I hate you." Draco pouted at Hermione.

"Me too." Ron said. He looked behind him, at Draco. "You're lucky that Skeeter bitch isn't here to take a picture of your homosexual ass!"

"Shut up Weasley." Draco spat back. "You're the one who's lucky, you get to brush your filthy skin on a Malfoy Body. You should be worshipping me by now."

"Guys, give it a break already!" Hermione hissed at them. "We're wasting time! You're obviously pissed off right now, and I'm scaring the shit out of myself for putting my ass on a stick with straw hair! No dementors can track us now, so could we please just go?"

"It's called a broom… hello?" Ron said, rolling his eyes before all of them bolted up in the sky. 

*          *          *          

Goyle glanced around once more before entering the deserted Potions classroom. Since it was the weekend, students were either outside on the school grounds or inside their dormitories, enjoying the freedom ahead of them. The teachers were probably still in their quarters, catching up on their sleep, except for dear old Professor Lickorpuss, who was out on the fields wearing a red bikini getting himself a tan. (Seriously.) Goyle got inside, stepped on the cold stony floor and locked the door behind him. "Silencio," he muttered before puling out a tiny silver gadget out of his robes. It was a gift, given to him by Phoenix, and what was it called again? A cellphone, as he had remembered. It worked like a fellytone which muggles use to communicate to each other in real time, although this one could be gained access anywhere. With his finger, he pressed the number one on the keypad long enough to see Phoenix name appear on the tiny blue screen, which was on speed dial. That was his cue to put the interesting contraption over his ear.

"Mmf.. Goyle?"

"Yes, it's me. Something's up."

"What? Why? What's wrong?"

"It's Malfoy, I mean Draco. I think he's coming to get you."

A pause. "Mmm… I see."

Goyle could tell she was smirking on the other line. "He's not alone. He's got three other friends with him." _If you can call them friends_, he thought.

Phoenix laughed out loud. "You seriously think I'm afraid of that? A bunch of wizards with a stupid stick to use magic with," she snickered.

Goyle kept silent. She obviously didn't know what the Golden Trio were capable of doing. Now that they were with Draco's stubbornness and knowledge in the dark arts, he wasn't sure they'd stand a chance. _Goyle, you dingbat_, he shook his head. _You're with the Dark Lord, remember?_ "So what are we going to do about it?" he finally asked. 

"_They_ are going to make this easier for us," she replied. "Let them come. Save us the trouble of looking for them. We'll hit them when they're close enough."

Goyle nodded his head. His stomach had started to grumble and was telling him to feed himself again. "Okay," he said. Since Phoenix wasn't making such a fuss about it, there was no reason for him to be nervous. "Then I'll just call you again when something comes up," he told her before pressing the tiny red button, ending the conversation. "Time to eat again," he said to himself. _After just eating half an hour earlier_, his conscience told him, only landing in deaf ears. 

*          *          *

Albus Dumbledore fed his phoenix, Fawkes, his last lemon square. Its red silky feathers glistened, contrasting with his quarter's all-white design. Fawkes gave his master a little appreciative bow, and Dumbledore returned the courtesy. It was sad to see an evil young woman named after such a great being. He gathered his white robes that was gliding along the floor and made his way to his study-table. It was white as well, with beautifully carved designs at the edges and legs of the table. His long aged finger ran across a series of books that were stocked on a shelf above him and took a heavily covered book called Radiesthesia. It was a book on a certain Divination methodology, which uses a pendulum to learn the secrets of our fates. His blue eyes gazed upon the diagrams and spells of the book through his half-moon spectacles, but his all-knowing mind wasn't really there. His thoughts seemed to have gotten into him. He knew for a fact that the war was definitely not over yet. There were still things to come, and it was uncertain of how it would all end.

He sighed and placed the book back on the shelf. He was wondering how Hogwarts has been since he had appointed his brother as the new Headmaster. He felt bad about lying about his absence, but he had to do it for the children. So more of them could study well without having their parents worry about having a criminal for a Headmaster. He chuckled to himself as he remembered how his brother had pushed him into hiring Professor Moby Lickorpuss. The Hogwarts Faculty was diverse, all right, but he had said that what Moby taught was useful.

There was a bigger danger awaiting one of his students, he knew that. He was glad that the student had finally seen the light. No. Draco Malfoy had always known the light, but he has, at last, surrendered to it. The four of them will achieve greater things together, if only they know. Wisdom, Courage, Compassion and Will… Yes, they will accomplish a lot together, as one. A gentle breeze swayed into his quarter, as his big window was open to let the sunshine in. It had a certain smell of mind, strength and passion, and although it was lacking one more scent, he was almost sure who had decided to pay him a visit. After a thump, a bang and swoosh, voices began to bark at each other.

"Shh! Be quiet!"

"Now if this is some sort of trap…"

"Be careful, I don't want to fall…"

"I swear I'm gonna kill you…"

"I said be quiet!"

"Hush, children. Come inside."

The voice suddenly stopped as Dumbledore's own boomed across his quarter, with his back facing the three surprised young adults. He slowly turned around and extended his arms as Ron and Hermione jumped off their brooms and rushed forward to give a big embrace to the man who had done so much to them, and vice versa. 

"Mr. Weasley! Ms. Granger!"

"Professor!"

Draco Malfoy unhurriedly climbed off his broom, and let it lean on the massive window pane. He let the little family love show continue in front of him, unintentionally filling himself with envy. Why had he gotten himself into this? He stood by the window, hands inside his pocket, letting his silver blonde bangs fall into his eyes, not letting anyone see how his eyes showed his real emotion. He was blocking the sun's light, and it sent different shadows in Dumbledore's room.

Albus felt the shadows and soon released himself from the embrace which he had been dying to receive. His eyes turned to Draco, who was standing with a scowl on his face. "Mr. Malfoy," he greeted with a smile.

"Professor, sir," Malfoy replied, nodding his head in his direction.

"Come here, sit with us, we have no time to lose." He made a gesture with his hand for Draco to move towards him, and Draco obeyed him. Soon all three of them sat on a couch, eating toasts and drinking coffee (they forgot they haven't eaten yet) and listened to every word Dumbledore told them.

"The Temple of the Dragon is becoming very strong indeed, and who knows what things they are capable of doing. Our magic is not enough to stop them, so we must play by their rules as well." He paused as he took another book out of his shelf. 

Hermione marveled at the old man who stood in front of them. It was not a surprise to her anymore how Dumbledore knew things. He had his ways of acquiring necessary information, and she would let whatever that method is to be a secret. "I know what they are practicing," she told the original Headmaster. "Wicca. I remember some teenagers in our neighborhood who practice them. It's dark. It's some occult, new age stuff, and they use magic without wands. It takes a lot of practice and some say that they are guided by gods and goddesses."

Dumbledore nodded his head. "That's correct, Ms. Granger." He showed the three of them a large book, almost crumbling in age, and handed it to them. "That is a Wiccan book. Phoenix is going to resurrect Voldemort, and she could go on raising other dark lords from the dead. It is up to you stop her and get rid of her powers."

"But how are we going to do that?" Ron asked between bites.

"It's all in there. You'll know what to do. I believe in you." Dumbledore smiled at each of them. "Just remember. You have to know _exactly_ who you are, and only then will you be able to attain your gifts."

Draco looked down on the book which was now in his hand and looked at the cover. It was plain black, with the book's title embroidered in fine golden threads. _The Craft Underground: The Laws of Ardeynes_. He ran his fingers over it. A book that can increase his Wizarding level. Soon, his wand wouldn't be valuable anymore. Imagine what a wizard could do with it.

"Where is Mr. Potter?"

Draco's head shot up as Dumbledore's voice awakened him from his greedy dreams, which of course, he hasn't realized. 

"I'm afraid he's decided not to come with us." Hermione answered him, eyes cast upon the white marble floor of his quarter.

"Ah…" Dumbledore replied. "He'll be back."

But then the doors suddenly sprang open as two figures, differently dressed compared to one another, ran forward. "Professor Dumbledore! The children! They've all gone! They're coming here, they could be in danger!" 

Professors Lickorpuss and Snape had paid him a visit as well. Ron immediately looked paler than the usual.

"Relax, Moby, they're safe with me," Dumbledore told him. "For the time being, that is."

Snape stepped towards Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, what has come into your mind and made you break a dozen school rules with these… these _Gryffindors_?"

Dumbledore answered for him. He was certain Draco could not answer that question for himself. "He's with them to do an errand for me, as well as for the whole Wizarding world."

The two professors looked at the Headmaster questioningly. "I'll explain everything to you later." Dumbledore said. "Right now, I'm afraid Ron, Hermione and Mr. Malfoy here have to eat and fly."

Snape shook his head. "Impossible. The dementors have started their usual sky-checking. The children wont stand a chance against them."

"There is a little office below where they could use the Floo Network," Lickorpuss offered. "Mr. Fudge uses it when he pays Azkaban a visit. We could hide the children until we reach that room."

Dumbledore smiled. "Good thinking, Moby. But how exactly are we going to hide the children."

Draco's eyebrows curved upward. He was sick of being called one of the children. "My invisibility cloak."

*          *          *

After packing food inside their bags and saying their goodbyes and expressing their gratitude to Professor Dumbledore, the five of them had so far, successfully climbed down to the fourth floor. Three more flights to go and they were free, but they were having a hard time. Since they only had a single cloak to conceal the three students, not to mention a couple of brooms, everything had to be perfect. They stepped simultaneously, trying not to make any sudden movements and sounds. It wasn't until they reached a certain cell when things started to go wrong.

A fancy letter "M" was magically embedded on the walls around the bars, and the person behind it was laughing.

" I smell the blood of my heir…" he laughed and evil laugh that seemed to bounce back and forth to the stone walls and floor. "And with a mudblood! A disgrace! A disgrace to the Malfoy Pride!"

Draco stopped dead in his tracks. His blood was boiling inside and his chest was heaving up and down. Hermione tried to calm him. "Don't let it get to you, Draco. We're almost out of here. Don't listen to him."

But the sinister man behind the bars continued to speak. "My son, the Dragon, a disgrace! I have no son! He is dead to me now!"

"Malfoy, come on, just keep walking, he doesn't see us." Ron was tugging Draco's shirt. At this, Draco continued walking, putting one foot in front of the other when Professor Lickorpuss pink high heels got in the way. He accidentally stepped on the Invisibility cloak and a loud RRRIIIIIP echoed through the walls, sending Ron, Hermione and Draco seen with the naked eye once more. Snape and Lickorpuss stood in shock.

Lucius Malfoy's lips turned into a sneer as his son appeared in front of his eyes. "Draco." He muttered the name slowly as if teasing his son. "You are not supposed to be here…"

Draco stared into his father's eyes. Both Malfoys stood there, killing each other with their gazes. "You scream, _father_, and I will personally make sure your stay in Azkaban will double in lifetime."

Lucius glared at his once pride and glory. "A threat, I see. It's good to know you still inherited some of the Malfoy Traditions in you." He looked at him, with that mudblood Granger holding his left arm. "You're a disgrace, Draco, you're not my son anymore."

Draco's face remained blank and emotionless. "I had no father to begin with."

Lucius scorned at this. His lips formed into an evil grin once more as he opened his mouth and screamed with all his might. "DEMENTORS! THERE ARE CHILDREN HERE! DEMENTORS! GET THEM QUICK! GET THEM!"

Snape immediately pushed Draco towards the nearest exit. "Run, you fools!"

And all hell went lose. Lickorpuss screamed a high pitched scream as Dementors suddenly appeared out of nowhere, their tall dark frame enveloping the walls of the castle in a black sea. They left the two professors alone, who had embraced each other, and went for the children. The three of them were running towards the biggest window, running as fast as their feet could carry them.

"We're not going to make it!" Hermione yelled, her chest screaming in pain, and she was panting heavily.

"Yes we are!" Draco persisted and grabbed Hermione's hand to make her run faster, while Ron's longer legs gave him an advantage of being ahead of them. "Come on!" he shouted at them.

But they almost made it. A dementor had already closed the few feet gap between them and was now closing in on the three. Another was right behind him. 

"Oh shit!" Hermione gasped. She remembered fifth year as Harry tried to teach her and her friends the Patronus. Okay, happy thoughts, happy thoughts… She closed her eyes shut as she tried to visualize all the fun times she had with Harry and Ron at the Burrow. "Expecto Patronum!" she managed to croak, but it left her defenseless. Draco and Ron were down on their knees, going crazy from the overwhelming sorrow that reached their hearts. It was tearing them apart. Hermione started to feel weak as a dementor's cold bony had cupped her face and tilted in, close enough to gain access of her lips. The Dementor's Kiss… This is it… I'm gonna die…

"Expecto Patronum!"

Somebody with such a familiar voice yelled, and a silver white stag suddenly appeared. It threw the dementor on the other side of the hall with his horns, and galloped towards Ron and Draco's Dementor, and did the same to him. He knocked over a few dementor's who were getting close to them, and it gave them a few precious seconds. The boy who had cast the Patronus went to the boys and shoved a chocolate frog into their mouths and soon regained some of their strength. Hermione couldn't see quite clearly. She was carried off in the boy's arms and she realized that she was mounted on a broom, with the boy wrapping his arms around her. She saw a vague outline of a messy hair, and the most brilliant green eyes anyone can ever lay eyes on. The dementors were once again on their feet and they began to move faster. All four of them were on their brooms as they went nearer to the window, and Hermione braced herself as they crashed into it, breaking the glass into a tiny thousand pieces, and they were once again in the air. Somehow, the broom Hermione was riding on had a magical rope connected to the Polaris and the Nimbus, and they managed to outfly the Dementors on their brooms who had been sky-checking in full speed. They were free again.

"Harry?" was all Hermione could ask as she was regaining her strength.

The brilliant green eyes glimmered as the boy who saved her from the dementor's kiss smiled at her. "Thought I'd let you have all the fun, didn't you? Yeah, it's me."

TBC

Author's notes: Well, what do you think?! 

Serpent du Feu: Well, I wish I can make them shag more often, but I want a story as well.. hehehe

KittyKat: It's great that you're a Filipino too! Yay to Pinoy Pride!

To the others: thank you sooooooo much… 

Please continue reviewing!


	7. Harry Gasps, Ron Mocks, Draco Smirks

Hello everyone!!! I'm so sorry it took so long for me to update.. School… I really had to get my grades up. Here's the latest chapter so far, and I hope you like it! Please review!!! Thanks to all!! By the way: There are so many things that I missed out here… let's just say that the head boy and head girl thing is out in this story for a while, alright? Hehehe… Tell me what else I missed and what should I improve.. thank you!!!

Chapter 7

Harry Gasped, Ron Mocked, Draco Smirked

They have been flying for Merlin knows how long. Above them, Hedwig flew majestically through the clouds. Harry Potter's legs were probably lifeless and his fingers have grown numb from the crisp cold night air which the moon dragged as it made its way to the starry night. But Harry Potter didn't care. Between his arms and his broomstick, Hermione Granger was trembling. He didn't know if it was the dementor shock or the sudden drop in the temperature, but he held her close nonetheless. 

"We need to rest, Potter," an icy voice called out from behind him. 

Harry looked over his shoulder. Malfoy and Ron had eventually regained their strength, thanks to the chocolate frogs he had shoved into their mouths earlier. But they weren't strong enough to fly their brooms themselves which is why Harry cast a magical rope to bind them to his Firebolt.

"I know," he replied. And did he ever. After what seemed like an eternity, the three sex gods finally lowered their broomsticks on one of the mountains northwest from Azkaban Prison. One by one, they landed on the soft ground of the earth, feet to grass.

"Now that was a bloody good ride, wasn't it," Draco said with dry humor in his voice.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Ron barked at him, bow-legged from their long trip. 

"Can't believe I lost my invisibility cloak in Azkaban," Draco shook his head. "Cost me a few galleons, that one."

"Quit the belly aching," Ron said as he put his hand in his bag and threw something unseen by the naked eye at Malfoy's face. "Unlike you, I had the presence of mind to pick up a valuable thing instead of just running away from a dozen dementors. Reparo!"

The cloak, which was torn in half before, was now good as new again. It mattered a lot to him, but Draco Malfoy would never in a million years admit his gratitude to a Weasley.

"Come on… Say it…" Ron teased. "Oh Ronald Weasley, let me kiss your feet! I am forever your slave! I'd rather lick your armpits than lick any other girls'—"

"Get away from me," Draco retorted.

"You guys," Harry interrupted. "Grab my bag. WE need to pitch up the tent 'cause it looks like we're going to spend the night here."

Draco turned his head to look at Potter who was helping Hermione lean on a big rock. He was sick of this fluffy friendship. Ron nodded while Draco protested.

"Wait a minute! You can't boss me around like that, I'm a Malfoy. You do it…"

Harry stood up and walked over to Draco. They were both the same height, and they were looking at each other eye to eye. "Listen, _Malfoy_. If it wasn't for me, you'd be dead by now." Harry glared at him. "I just saved your life. Now the least you can do is drive a couple of nails on the bloody ground and help Ron put up the tent! Is that too much to ask?"

"Listen, _Potter_," Draco replied. "If you would have been with us in the first place, maybe we would never have gotten close to being kissed by those fuckin'—"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Draco stopped in mid-sentence. Both boys rolled their eyes to Hermione who was lying on the ground, back on a huge rock, and wand aimed right between them.

"Don't you ever get tired of badgering each other all the time?" She asked, eyes weary and exhausted. "Now let's set the records straight. From now on, everyone will follow my orders, yes, including you, Ron," she added, when she saw him about to complain. "If I see so much as a middle finger raised at any one of you, I will hex your lights out, got that? But if you really can't help being the sick, savage, uncivilized barbarians like all men are, shut up Ron, You will have to tell me first, after which you will be required to strip off your clothes, butt-naked, and do a hand to hand combat until one of you is dead. Have I made myself clear?"

Silence.

"Hermione!" Harry gasped.

"Yes, Professor Granger," Ron mocked.

"Kinky, are we?" Draco smirked.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you're gonna indulge yourselves in puny fist-fights, I think it's only fair that I get something out of it too." She said with a smile. All three boys snorted and shook their heads.

"Well what are you waiting for?" She raised her voice playfully. "Harry, you and Draco set up a tent and build a fire. It's freezing here. Ron, hand me the book Dumbledore gave us and prepare our dinner. There's a lot to be done tonight."

And so for the next half an hour, all four of them had gotten together normally. Harry and Draco managed to set up the tent, with Draco being silent about his fascination for that muggle portable shelter. Ron, on the other hand, had gotten too much food from Dobby back at Hogwarts and was having a hard time deciding what to eat now and what to eat later.

"_Engorgio_! No, wait… _Reducio_… Strawberry shortcakes! _Engorgio_! Mm… butterbeer, _engorgio_! Ack! It spilled!"

"Just say Eenie Meenie Minie, Mo, will you," Draco had said. "We're starving."

Before long, they were gathered around the fire, cloaks over their shoulders, enjoying a surprisingly civilized conversation.

"Man, I wish I was there to see Dumbledore…" Harry said as he fed Hedwig some cakes.

"So really, Harry, what made you change your mind?" Ron asked between bites.

"God, I've been acting like a real prick," Harry paused after taking a gulp from his butterbeer. "Guess my motivation came in late. I went to the Library to get a map so I'd know where Azkaban is. That Skeeter girl somehow knew our plan. Published in on the Hogwarts Forum."

"Damn," Draco shook his head. "Wonder why she's not in Slytherin."

"Speaking of which, your housemates weren't so happy about you and…" Harry pointed at him and then the three of them. "And this whole thing."

Draco snorted. "I'm surprised they even care."

Ron bit his lip. He noticed Malfoy not saying anything further about it. He hesitated asking him any more questions about his redemption and decided to keep quiet. Harry had figured the same thing and kept his mouth shut He didn't want to be hexed by Hermione anytime soon. For a while they just sat there, letting silence take over.

"Oh my god," Hermione gasped as she uttered her first three words since she buried herself in _The Craft Underground_. 

"What's up, Hermione?" Ron asked. 

Hermione closed the book with a soft thud and faced her friends. "You guys should read that… Memorize a few pages. Read everything, we won't even need a wand."

Harry and Ron looked at each other while Draco stared at the book.

"But first things first." Hermione explained. "We need to invoke spirits. That way, we can… generate their powers… Now there are four corners in the earth—"

"North, south east and west." Draco interrupted.

"Exactly. We need to represent them and call upon them. But here's the catch. We have to be exactly like them."

Harry frowned. "Where are you getting at?"

Hermione absent-mindedly twirled a lock of hair and licked her lips. "It says here that north is earth. It represents all things material, strength and prosperity. East, which is air, is intellect and imagination while west or water is emotion and intuition. Fire is for south or, for people with will and passion."

They looked at each other. Finally, Draco stood up and stared at the sky. "Well that settles it then," he looked for the brightest star in the sky and stepped right under it. "The North star. I have natural wealth, natural wizard blood flowing through my veins, and a natural blond at that."

"He forgot natural jackass," Ron whispered to Harry.

"What did you say, Ron?" Hermione cast a knowing look at him.

"Nothing," he cleared his throat. "Guess I was born to be fire." He pointed his hair, and everyone had nothing else to say about it.

"West is perfect to you Hermione," Harry told her. "Women are usually emotional, and you're the only woman around her."

Hermione didn't know if it was a compliment or an insult. "East for imagination. We've got enough proof about that snake you accidentally turned lose and blowing up your Aunt Marge." She smiled at him.

Draco impatiently tapped his foot on the ground. "So… shall we?"

*          *          *

"Damn it, nothing's happening!" Ron complained.

They have memorized their lines by heart and stood on their designated positions, but after more than a dozen trials, they still had no progress. 

"I don't understand it!" Hermione exclaimed. "We did everything! We followed all the steps in invoking the spirits, but how come I don't feel anything different?"

Harry was silently thinking on what they should do while Draco on the other hand was trying to test his powers, if ever he had any. He faced his palm open on a small rock and decided to summon it. But since he didn't need a wand, he decided to say something else instead.

"Come to me!" Nothing happened. The rock was still there. "Come… Come rock… Come rock here…. Come to me rock, here…"

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Malfoy, stop it!" Ron pleaded. "You look stupid."

Draco realized he was right. He grabbed his wand and pointed at the rock. "_Disintegrato_!" It exploded into a thousand pieces. _Stupid rock_, he thought. 

"Look, why don't we rest for the night?" Harry offered. "I think there's still time for us to know what went wrong. We need to get our energy; we've still got a long way to go."

"Oh my god, you're right," Hermione agreed. "We're lucky you picked this mountain Harry."

Harry looked at her. "Why?"

Hermione grinned at him. "I found a note Dumbledore slipped in the book. We have to go to sleep now, and get up at the break of dawn."

"But that's only a few hours from now!" Ron complained.

"That's why we need to sleep now." Hermione said.

"Okay then." Harry held up his hand. "Let's get inside the tent and get some shut eyes."

One by one, the golden trio went inside it, leaving Draco outside. "Oh shit. You mean we're going to sleep on the _ground_?"

Hermione's head appeared on the flap and pulled Draco inside. "Come on!"

*          *          *

He knew he was awake. But his body didn't respond to it just yet. It was his first night that he didn't have any dreams. Why would he wake after all? There was still no sunshine, his bed was as hard as wood and…

"Draco? It's time to get up now."

Draco slowly opened his eyes. Hermione was looking down at him, smiling as she ran a finger through his hair. He had forgotten to bring his Gel with him, and now it fell completely on his eyes. She kissed his forehead. "Are you awake now?"

Draco grumbled as he rubbed his eyes. "Damn, that Weasley of yours could snore. The whole mountain probably couldn't sleep."

Hermione giggled. "Come on, Harry and Ron are outside now. It's almost time."

Draco still didn't understand Hermione, but decided to follow her. He shook himself awake and grabbed his bag and broom as they went outside. Harry and Ron were standing a few feet in front of them. Harry pointed his wand at the tent, and muttered a reducing spell. He put the tent inside his pockets. 

"Now tell us again why we're standing out here and not riding on our brooms instead," Ron asked Hermione. "You know we're wasting time."

Hermione smiled at herself. "Patience is a virtue. Besides, this is faster."

"Huh?"

But Ron never got his question answered. As soon as the sun came up to greet them, something happened. The whole sky glistened like a rainbow prism, like it was covered in a thick, plastic sheet. All four of them opened their mouths in awe. It was beautiful. Harry looked mesmerized at the sight. He reached out his hand to touch the sheet which was just a couple of feet in front of him and he gasped. His fingers went through the jelly like sheet.

"Come on. Just take a step forward. Trust me on this." She held Draco's hand tight in her left hand and Harry's in her right. Harry did he same to Ron on his other side. "On the count of three… One… Two… Three!"

And simultaneously, the stepped forward and got sucked inside the jelly sheet. Then Draco's ears immediately screamed in pain. There were loud honking noises, a lot of bright lights and big metal contraptions on wheels producing so much more noise. So much more louder than a howler. Draco squinted his eyes to see better. There was big, tall gray buildings everywhere, and the people, were dressed in… in muggle clothes…

Hermione took a deep breath. "Gentlemen, welcome to London."

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A/N: hehehhe… so that was it! What do you think about it?? Like it?? Hate it??? Please review!!!!!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!

Don't take me credit for that hand to hand combat suggestion of Hermione… I got it from a book called Everworld… hehehe.. everything else is from me!

ERICA G: I emailed you already, right?? Hehehe… thanks for reading my fic! That rob Schneider thing really just popped in my mind… keep reading!

NAMI1: Nope… Draco and Ron are with Harry and Hermione… damn, I knew I wasn't good in describing things… thanks for stating that confusion!

CREARULIAN ANGEL: Aw… thanks so much… (bows down)… thanks again…

AZNANGELGAL: Yay! Another Filipino!! Hehehe… that part with goyle… I couldn't make up any latin sounding spells… so I used Filipino instead.. hahaha!!

SERPENT DU FEU: Hahaha… responding to the nudge… Ow!! Not the ribs! Hehehe.. thank you thank you thank you…

OREO69: Get up from your bow!!! Thanks for boosting up my ego… hehehe… keep reading!!

SUPERNIMBIS: Hehehe.. people are confused with Prof. Lickorpuss… he's gay.. hehehe… not that I have anything against gays!!! Hehehe.. they just make the story funnier… hehehe

TO EVERYONE ELSE: I know I've emailed you and let you know how truly grateful I am!! Thank you so much!!!


	8. McDonalds Couldn't Think of Anything Bet...

Chapter 8

McDonald's

^~^~^~^~^

Hermione took a deep breath. "Gentlemen, welcome to London."

~*~*~

Phoenix Malfoy Thompson dropped her fork and grabbed her head in pain.

"Phoenix, darling, what's the matter?" Mr. Thompson looked up to his adopted daughter. The Thompson household was having their usual quiet breakfast of bacon and eggs when Phoenix suddenly broke their silence.

"Nix, what's wrong?" asked her mudblood mother.

She started to get up from the table and tried to get rid of the faint ringing in her ears. _They're here_, she thought. "I'm sorry, may I be excused?" she said as she made her way to the door, not waiting for any response from her parents.

"But what about your breakfast, honey?" Her dad called out, but the only answer that Mr. Thompson got was the loud bang of their front door.

Her younger brother Dylan snickered. "Freak," he muttered.

Mrs. Thompson gasped. "Dylan, watch your language! And how many times do I have to tell you, no discman on the table!" And so the Thompson family continued with their routine, finished breakfast at 10:30 am, dishes washed and dried by 10:45, with Phoenix's absence gone unnoticed.

~*~*~

She was standing in front of their house, heart racing and silently gasping for air. It was in the middle of the morning, but there was not a soul wandering the street of Coltsfoot Drive, the street where she lived with her mudblood family. Everyone had taken refuge in their little identical houses, probably eating the same meal, following the same schedule. It was sickening.

She put her index and middle fingers on her forehead and started to massage it. _It's been a while since this last happened,_ she thought. But she hated it when it does.

_So they've broken the barrier_, she thought and smiled to herself. _Gotta hand it to you brother, very impressive_. She tried to shake the pain away from her head. _Think, Phoenix, think_.

She fumbled for something inside her pockets and took out a silver gadget. She flipped it open, pressed a number on speed dial and waited for someone to answer.

"Hello Goyle?" she finally spoke. "It's me. Listen. I think we'll go a little ahead than what we had planned. It's time to wake little Voldie up."

~*~*~

They crossed the barrier and somehow appeared on a little alleyway, which had now closed in on itself. The throng of busy muggle shoppers were too busy to notice four young adults materialize out of nowhere. While the Golden trio were still awed at what happened to them, Draco, however, had taken more steps than necessary and accidentally landed right in the middle of the street. A porky old man behind the wheels of an old Buick suddenly stepped on the brakes, while Draco's reflexes took over and made him jump a couple of feet back.

The old man flared on his horn. "Are you crazy kid? I could have killed you!" he yelled behind his beard. "You just sprang out of nowhere!"

Draco's heart was still pumping with adrenalin. "Watch your mouth, muggle! No one calls a Malfoy crazy, not even dirty mudbloods like you!"

The old man turned red with rage. "What the… What the hell did you just call me? Why you—"

"Sir! I'm so sorry! It's okay!" Harry suddenly grabbed Malfoy's arm and pulled him away. Draco was surprised for a moment but he briefly caught Harry's eyes that seemed to say, "follow my lead or I will kill you."

"I'm so sorry, sir," Harry smiled apologetically to the man. "You see, he, um, well, he escaped from this mental asylum from downtown, and, um, we've been trying to find him the whole day."

"Oh yeah!" Draco piped in, his body lanking in different angles. "Fuzzy wuzzy here is ugly foo poo mudgy boo." He looked at the driver with silver puppy eyes.

Harry smiled uneasily. "See? He makes up words all the time, hehe," he patted Draco's back, who continued to look stupid and dumb.

The old man first turned to look at Malfoy, then at Harry. Finally, he bought the act. "Just keep him away from the streets." He said, and shifted back to first gear and drove away. 

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Ron laughed from behind and patted Draco's shoulder. "Nice show, Malfoy," he teased. "I wanted to join too, but I couldn't find a cute nurse outfit around."

Draco shrugged off Ron's hand. "Get off me," he muttered.

Hermione walked up to Draco and snuggled under his arm, laughing despite of herself. Draco looked down on her and gently poked her nose. "Don't tell me you're going to start too."

Hermione giggled and shook her head. "I just thought you were cute. But good thing Harry was closer. We shouldn't be attracting attention. Phoenix and her friends could be anywhere."

Harry had the urge to look at the happy couple, but he continued to face them as if nothing was wrong. He forced a smile on his face. "What are you talking about Hermione? I just wanted Malfoy to look stupid."

Draco raised his eyebrow. "Really, Potter?"

"Just kidding," Harry replied. "So where do we go from here, Hermione?"

Hermione frowned. She looked at the four of them, then at the busy crowd who had began staring rudely at them. And why shouldn't they? There were three young men who could pass for models (had it not been for the brooms they carried with them) accompanied by a girl clutching a book twice her weight. Finally Hermione spoke. "There's a McDonald's down the street. What say we eat first and then figure out what's going to happen next?"

~*~*~

After searching a few muggle pounds of money, Harry and Hermione had finally their orders and seated themselves on a table by the window, far from everyone, with Ron and Malfoy tailing behind. Moments later, burgers and fries and diet Cokes were almost finished, and Draco was being his Malfoy self again.

"My Happy Meal sucks," he complained.

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked. "I think Marlin is cool!"

"No way," Draco argued. "Marlin looks so fake! Look at yours. Nemo looks way better. This isn't fair. A Weasley never gets anything better than a Malfoy—"

Hermione cleared her throat. "Um, guys, I think we should be talking about Finding Phoenix instead."

Draco sighed. "You're right, 'mione."

Hermione cleared the table and dumped the _Craft Underground_ on top of it. The boy watched as she flipped through the pages until she finally saw a piece of parchment tucked between them. It was written in a bunch of lines and dots all over it.

Harry looked disturbed. "What language is that?" he asked.

Hermione smiled. "It's not a language Harry, it's a pattern." She looked up from the book to see three confused faces looking back at her. "See here," she began. "Each symbol represents a letter in our alphabet. Draw two parallel vertical lines and another horizontal pair intersecting them. Put the first nine letters in the spaces, then we've broken half the code! Put dots on the corners of the lines, we've got the next nine letters. Then draw an X, then put dots on the vertices, you've got yourself a new alphabet." Her eyes were glistening, sparkling as it always does whenever she knows what she's doing. Draco smiled inwardly at this. 

"Dumbledore knew I was into this thing," Hermione continued. She pointed at the parchment. "These are instructions he gave for us to find Phoenix. I've already broken the first part, that's why I knew about the barrier. Give me a sec and I'll decipher the rest."

Harry nodded and reached over to get The Craft Underground. "Maybe Ron and I should memorize a few more spells while you're at it."

"Come on Harry!" Ron said. "We haven't even invoked any spirits yet!"

"Well, I think it's just useful." Harry explained. "We can save time, you know."

Ron sighed and gave up. He leaned over so he could also read the book.

For a while they were just being quiet. Harry and Ron were silently muttering to themselves across the table while Hermione was still breaking the last message beside Draco. "Oh, um, we went to an early Halloween Party…" Harry had said when an elderly woman stared at their table and at their brooms. It was then that Draco realized they were really far from everyone. They were in a secluded corner and no one would notice if he did anything… naughty. 

He leaned towards Hermione and casually wrapped his arm around the waist. Hermione, who was so wrapped up in her work just smiled and sighed at this. Malfoy sneered as he reached out from under the table and opened the button of her pants. Hermione's fingers froze as Draco silently pulled the zipper down.

"Draco, what are you doing?" Hermione hissed. But she was starting to feel hot inside as he knees began to part.

"That's it," Draco replied while his hand was running up and down her thigh under the table. "They don't know what I'm doing to you right now." He whispered, glancing at Harry and Ron. "So that's a W, right?"

Hermione's chest heaved at this little game Draco was playing. His fingers had made their way under her panties which were soaked wet. Her hand suddenly grabbed the edge of the table as Draco jammed two fingers inside her.

"I said, that's a W, am I correct?" Draco asked once more, an evil grin forming at the corner of his mouth.

Her head twisted to look at Draco, whose hair only permitted little of Draco's lust-filled eyes. _Concentrate, Granger, two can play this game_, Hermione thought. "Y-yeah…" she managed to speak. 

"Oh I see," Draco teased as his fingers moved slowly, in and out of Hermione's womanhood. She whimpered softly so only the two of them could hear. A small growl escaped from Draco's lips. He was beginning to get aroused as well as he saw Hermione's helplessness.

"And, um, this is an H… I… N… K… no wait. This is uh… uh…" 

"Yes?"

"G… and I…"

"Hey Hermione! Are you okay?" Harry suddenly asked. Draco was a bit startled at this and didn't move for a moment.

"Yes, of course, Harry," she lied. "What made you think so?"

"Coz you're sweating like crazy… I don't know. Maybe it's just me. The air conditioning is probably broken. It sure is hot in here, right?"

Draco rested his chin on Hermione's trembling shoulder and jammed his fingers once more inside, deeper than ever.

Hermione gasped. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "I mean, yes… yes… Please, please…"

Ron raised his eyebrows. "Please? What are you pleading for?"

Draco pushed his fingers further. "Yeah, Hermione, what are you pleading for?"

Hermione unintentionally threw her head back. She ran her hand through her hair, hardly keeping what she felt inside. "I mean, I-I mean, please let the a/c work!"

"So Hermione, would you mind showing us the note now?" Draco asked. His fingers had began a circular motion inside of her.

Hermione moaned. "Oh…uh…"

"Oh come on, Hermione!" Harry persisted.

"Yeah, come on!" Ron agreed.

All of a sudden, Draco removed his wet fingers from her. 

"NO!" Hermione screamed

Draco raised his eyebrow and looked at her innocently. "What's wrong?"

Hermione shot a look at Draco. She didn't know if she was mad at Draco for doing something so crazy to her or for not finishing what he did to her.

"No… I-I don't mind at all," Hermione answered. "J-Just g-give me a minute."

_Okay, Granger, concentrate_, she thought as Draco shrugged. She was still throbbing between her legs but she ignored it. W…H…I…N…G…I…N..G… Whinging?

"Oh my God, Harry, she's in Surrey!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Whoa, wait!" Harry said. "You mean she's in Surrey right now?"

Hermione nodded. "In Little Whinging, to be exact."

"But that's still general! Little Whinging is a big place."

"Well, Dumbledore also said here that Draco would know where to look once we get there."

Draco stared back at them. "Well, maybe my dreams will be clearer then."

"But still," Ron piped in after taking a gulp from his Coke. "We're in London and Surrey is a long way from here. How are we gonna get there? We can't exactly use our brooms, remember?"

"Maybe not…" Hermione bit her lip. "But we could use the Floo Network! Floo right into Harry's house!"

  
"Nice one, Hermione! The my aunt and uncle are gonna be gone this month for their second honeymoon!"

Draco shook his head. "I'm afraid we've got to find another way. Muggle houses aren't connected to the Network."

"Really! And I thought you guys had imagination!" Hermione looked at the boys. "I've got an idea, but we have to go to Diagon Alley first."

Draco smirked. "I just love it when I get ideas in – Hey!"

Suddenly a man they didn't notice before walked briskly past them and suddenly grabbed Draco's coat which was hanging at the back of the booth. He immediately ran towards the exit of McDonald's before it registered in Draco's mind that his coat was being snatched. "Damn it!" he cursed and ran after the thief. Immediately Harry and Ron followed suit while Hermione took five seconds longer because she still zipped her pants.

"STOP!" Draco yelled as he continued to chase the man. "DRACO!" Harry yelled as he and Ron and Hermione ran together. Malfoy was breathing hard and was running as fast as his long legs could carry him. But unfortunately, he kept trying not to bump into muggles and spoil his garments with their filth. Plus, he was unfamiliar with the streets. They turned on one dark corner and Draco lost hope. He grabbed his wand from his pocket pants and aimed it at the robber, who was much afar already. 

"Don't!" Harry shouted as he grabbed Draco's arm and let the wand fall on the ground. The robber was by now nowhere to be seen. 

Draco turned around. "What the fuck did you do? I almost had him!"

"Malfoy! We're in a muggle street! No magic remember?" Harry yelled back. "We could get caught and spend twenty years in Azkaban for a stupid coat!"

"But that was an Armani!" Draco argued. By this time, Ron and Hermione had gotten to them, panting heavily. "It cost me a fortune!"

"Listen, Draco," Hermione said, between gasps of breath. "I know you value your clothes a lot, and the whole Malfoy Wardrobe thing—"

"- Malfoy Wardrobe?" Ron interrupted.

"- But we can't afford the risk," Hermione finished. "So just let it go."

"Besides," Harry said. "I thought you didn't want anything to do with muggles?"

Draco laughed. "A lot has changed, Potter. For your information, Armani was never a muggle. He's a wizard. Do you seriously think a mudblood could come up with wonderful styles and fashion?"

It was Ron's turn to laugh. "Now that made you sound just like Professor Lickorpuss."

_"I am not gay." _

"Well how do we know for sure?"

"Aurgh! Will you give it a break already?" Hermione grabbed her hair. "When you guys get along with each other it's incredibly annoying! Sometimes I wish you'd get back to the normal testosterone-filled, immature selves that you are. Can't we just be the same as we were and go to Diagon Alley as we planned? We're wasting time!"

"But my—" Draco started.

Hermione pointed a finger at him. "No buts, Draco. Get over your Armani." She looked at her two best friends. "We agreed yesterday that everyone would follow my rules. Anyone who feels otherwise may stay here and go back to Hogwarts, wait for Voldemort to revive, and die a rather painful death. It's up to you." With that, she turned on her heels and began to walk to their destination.

The three boys looked after the girl with a fiery personality, hair bouncing on her back. 

"You know, she could be such a bitch sometimes," Ron folded his arms.

"Tell me about it," Draco agreed.

"And we didn't even say we wanted to go back," Harry chuckled, looking at Hermione who didn't even glance back. "But come on. We better hurry up before Dragon Lady turns us into Sunday's barbecue."

Suddenly Hermione turned around, with a rather sheepish grin on her face.

"What's the matter, 'mione?" Harry asked her.

"Can't believe I'm the only who thought about this. Change of plans." Hermione answered. "First we go back to McDonald's, get our stuff, and then we go to Diagon Alley." She was walking down the streets with the three boys trying to keep up with her.

"By the way, Hermione, you never had the chance to tell us about your Big Plan." said Ron.

"Yeah, could you at least tell us what you're getting us into?" asked Draco.

That's when suddenly Hermione stopped dead in her tracks. They had just reached the front glass doors of McDonald's when she turned around to face them, glowing with mischief. "Draco? Ron? How'd you like to be Mr. Lucius and Mr. Arthur for a day, asking an immediate Floo connection to the Potter house for a brief inspection?" 

She thus went inside, leaving three open mouthed gods staring after her. 

"She has got to be kidding me," Ron breathed. 

TBC

***********************************************************************************************************

And that was it!! So how'd you like it??? Please tell me all your views and comments!! Please please please….  
  


ERICA G: Hahha… I just love the reactions you get… it's nice to know my jokes are appreciated in the story!! Thanks so much really for the wonderful reviews!

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POLISH PRINCESS: Hey there Joanna! I'm glad you really like it!! I don't know if this is updating soon… hehehe

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ARTEMIS MOONCLAW: Hehehe… I didn't know how else to describe the barrier except jelly-wise!

NAMI1: Thanks so much, really for reading my fic!!!!!

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